Hope for the Hopeless
by thekindlyones
Summary: He's the first superhero, created to be a sign of hope for the world during trying times. After being asleep for almost 70 years, Steve Rogers was thrown into a brand new world with no idea where to go. Now, he is the one who needs a hero. Steve/OC
1. Lost

**Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter One: Lost_

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything (plot/characters) you recognize from Marvel. I do, however, own my character, Holly and the storyline._

* * *

It was a nice day. Actually, it was a _very _nice day.

There had been a series of nice days so far, now that the last of the snow in Manhattan had melted away and the green of the trees were fast returning with the glow of the reborn sun.

The people of Manhattan were slowly but surely discarding their heavy, burdensome winter wear in exchange for colourful florals, floaty sundresses and light jackets as Spring approaches and there was an intangible but definite cheer in the air.

On this particularly nice day, people flocked to Central Park in their various outfits of dresses and light, casual clothes; some with their families and others with their friends, all heading for the same white tents that had been put up days ago by the city's event council.

It was the start of the annual Spring Life Festival, a three-day event that celebrated the coming of spring and the start of a brand new year in the acclaimed park. Live performers were accompanied by colourful, towering carnival rides such as the ever popular Viking Ship, a small family roller coaster and a colourful Ferris Wheel that had queues that were stretching longer and longer fast. Food stalls littered the path to the rides, while flamboyantly decorated souvenir carts were sending out loud, boisterous calls in a bid to attract the park goers to their little space selling exotic trinkets such as dream catchers, pinwheels and little suncatchers that shone and glimmered in the light.

Rather than joining in the festivities, a lone man sat on a weathered park bench nearby, looking somberly at everything in his sight. A soft but hefty sigh left his chapped lips as he tried to block out the disturbance of the noisy crowd passing him by. He had walked the entire three blocks to the park, hoping to seek solace and peace in the serenity the famed park has to offer after the mildly awkward but severely despairing meeting he had just experienced, but was dismayed to be greeted by an unusually crowded park.

Apparently, the higher powers above had made damn sure to do everything they could to prevent Steve Rogers from getting what he wanted on this day.

Steve never knew about the Spring Festival that took place in the park annually. But then again, he never knew much about many things anymore. Not since he had woken up from being trapped in the Arctic's ice for almost seventy years.

'_70 years,_' he mused, a deep frown marring the smooth skin of his forehead. Another sigh escaped into the warm spring air as he turned to appraise the people around him. So many things had changed while he was gone. The park was different now and the technology, the roads, people, _everything_.

It had been almost a week since he had woken up in a hospital ward that, much to his amusement, had been decorated specially in a 1940's layout. It would have fooled him, had he not tuned into the Dodger game's play-by-play broadcasting on the radio.

It was a shock, to say the least, when he had broken out of the makeshift ward after throwing two heavily dressed and equipped men through the wall, to see that the room was actually just a huge box placed in the middle of what looked to be a larger containment room. Here, he was imprisoned with nothing to help make his escape; there was no star spangled armour nor was there his trusty vibranium shield.

With his heart pounding fiercely against his enhanced chest, he ran; Steve tore through the steel double doors and out onto what looked to be an office corridor.

Everything around him looked like they belonged to a page from a badly written science-fiction novel, with its futuristic architecture, the advanced technology that covered almost every inch of the building and the weirdly dressed people milling about the floors. They seemed almost otherworldly, to the point where Steve thought that this could just be another vivid dream before he slipped into death, because he was sure this was what it would feel like.

The soldier quickly darted out of the building, pushing and nudging people aside roughly as his legs took him away from the foreign place. Rain pelted against his heated skin as adrenaline pumped furiously through his veins, prompting him to push himself further. Blindly, he continued running, his enhanced speed making it impossible for the people in the building to catch up to.

Bright lights in various shades of colours flashed from the sides of the tall skyscrapers, leaving his frazzled nerves and confused mind even more worked up. Steve rushed passed road sign after road sign, street after street, as horns blared at him for cutting across the hazardous roads recklessly.

It wasn't until when the lights had all blurred into a single mirage of dazzling colours that he stopped. Steve's strained body stood at what looked to be the center of the town square, surrounded by loud flashing buildings, foreign signs and passersby who stopped to stare at him from under their umbrellas.

It was then that four black cars had swerved in and surrounded him in a blockade before the doors swung open and various men dressed in dark suits with wires hanging from the ears stepped out to keep the crowd from closing in on him.

Nick Fury was the one who broke the news to him that he had been asleep for almost seventy years, protected in a prison of ice and hidden away from the development of his civilization. The tall, imposing man then proceeded to ask Steve if he was going to be okay, seeing the look of distraught etched tight upon his youthful face.

_Okay?_

How was he going to _'be okay'_ after being told that he had been left in a catatonic but alive state for the past seventy years, wrapped up in frozen tomb when he should be dead after crash-landing the jet into the Arctic's icy depths?

How was he going to be normal again, recognizing the fact that he had gone seventy years without aging, without changing, while the world outside his resting place had been developing rapidly, leaving him behind as it advances?

He was _not_ going to be bloody okay knowing that his comrades, his friends, his family were all either dead or dying, and had spent the past decades believing him to be so.

Furthermore, he had a date. An important date that he had missed.

The first thing Steve had done when the doctors had given him the all clear was to search the database for familiar faces. Helplessness coated him in thick, impermeable layers while the hope that his fellow comrades and _her _were still alive was almost non-existent.

Fury, whom Steve had now come to know as the director of the _Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division_ (or S.H.I.E.L.D. for short), had reluctantly agreed to let him seek out his friends, and had laughed, rather boisterously and unlikely of him, when Steve had requested to know in which room were their records files kept. The African American man had then proceeded to point to a series of thin, black devices in the room before sending in the female agent who was always by his side via an almost invisible communicating device tucked into the crevices of his ear.

Maria Hill was a blue-eyed brunette woman who was quite obviously one of the only two agents in S.H.I.E.L.D. that the stern director trusted absolutely. Her coffee coloured hair was always pulled back from her face, highlighting the sharpness in her eyes and the fixed blankness of her expression.

With the help of Hill, Steve had then spent the entire day sat in front of a sleek, black device with numerous cables and buttons that the agent had referred to as a 'computer', watching as she typed away without care while images and words flashed across the screen. Much as he was intrigued by this invention, Steve was more concerned about locating his friends and having a familiar face explain to him all that had happened while he was away.

It was in that one day that he found out all but one of his friends from the Howling Commandos had passed on. Timothy 'Dum Dum' Dugan, the witty but gentle man was still alive, tucked away from the world in a little cabin in Vancouver, Canada. He had decided to leave the army and spend the rest of his life in a quiet little town, choosing instead to settle down and leave all the memories of his life in the army behind. Dugan had done well for himself, having started his own little lumbering business and a large family, something that he had told Steve he would fulfill when the war was over.

However, nothing could compare to the sheer elation Steve felt when he knew that Peggy Carter was still alive.

Agent Hill then offered to help arrange a meeting with her the next day, giving him a small grin that he supposed was meant to be comforting before leaving Steve staring at the image of the brown haired beauty on the computer screen.

He sighed once more. His hand reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose as a tight pounding started drumming in his head.

The words that had been said in the small café were still reverberating in his troubled mind like a broken message that was set to replay over and over again.

* * *

_Despite having convinced himself that Peggy wasn't going to remain looking like how she did back during the war, it still surprised Steve to see the tough, determined brunette as an old, wizened lady now with her frail stature and delicate wrinkles. _

_Peggy Carter stood before him then, a look of absolute disbelief and happiness coating her wizened features as tears welled up in her brown eyes. Before Steve could even make his way out of his chair fully, the ex-officer had moved towards him in a startling flurry of agile swiftness for her age, as she threw her thin arms around his broad body and pulled him into a tight hug. Steve's eyes slipped shut, and for a second, he threw his current predicament to the back of his mind and simply focused on the feeling of Peggy's arms wrapped around him and the lingering scent of her jasmine perfume that remained unchanged over the years._

_A shaky chuckle escaped Peggy's lips before she released her hold on the soldier and pulled back to appraise him critically._

"_You're late," she said, amusement twinkling in her chocolate brown eyes. Her wrinkled pink lips were pulled back into a soft, wistful smile when Steve moved to pull the chair out for her._

"_My ride had a hard time coming through the glaciers," An underlying note of sadness coated his joking words as he sent Peggy a wry smile._

"_What happened?" she asked, just as the waitress walked up to their tables for their drinks. Steve took the liberty of ordering for Peggy, telling the young waitress the exact way she liked her tea (two sugar, a slice of lemon and a pinch of cinnamon) and getting a cup of black coffee for himself before turning back to answer her question._

_The star-crossed lovers spent the next half hour catching up on the things he had missed while he had been buried in the Arctic. All of his comrades from the Howling Commandos, save for him and Bucky, had moved away to various parts of the country and the world after the war and had settled down and gotten married quickly. At the talk of marriage, Steve's eyes wandered to the ring finger on Peggy's left hand._

_An excited jolt buzzed through him to see no ring on it, and he wondered if quite possibly, Peggy had chosen to wait for him after all these years. _

"_He's passed away," Peggy said, her brown eyes staring wistfully at her ring finger when she noted where Steve's line of sight was directed. _

_Steve's head snapped up from her hand and attempted to speak. Disappointment rushed over him like a tidal wave, knocking the little bout of hope that had flared up in him like a frail useless little sapling during a harsh storm._

"_He?"_

"_My husband,"_

"_Oh." Steve looked away from her and flushed at his own selfishness and naivety._

'Of course,' _he thought bitterly. '_Why would she want to waste her life away by waiting for someone who was obviously not going to return to her?'

_Peggy's wrinkled hand moved across the table quietly and captured Steve's large, tanned hand in hers. She managed a little squeeze and held her hand there, not caring about what the image of two of them might look to the outsiders as she stared imploringly into his lost blue eyes._

"_I waited for you. I really did. I refused to accept the fact that you would have died just like that. You're Captain America, the super-soldier, you can't just _die._" She said vehemently, holding Steve's wandering gaze in her determined one. She wanted him to understand why she had moved on and how she could put memories of him behind. "Howard started a mission to look for you in the Arctic, and I joined him. We were the only two who believed you were still alive somewhere."_

_A guilty tear fell from the corner of her eyes as she drew her hand back and chose to clutch onto her teacup tightly instead. Steve's hand flinched at the sudden coolness seeping into his heated skin before he clenched them tightly and pulled his shaking fists into his lap._

"_For months, Howard and I scoured the place where your co-ordinates were last recorded. But even with his advanced creations, we couldn't find you or a single piece of wreckage from your plane. You… you were lost. Steve, you _have_ to understand. Everyone thought you to be dead. Even Howard slowly believed it to be true. Do you know how hard it was for me to continue clinging to the belief that you were still out there, waiting for us to rescue you?"_

_Steve stayed quiet, choosing instead to stare down at his untouched cup of coffee. _

"_For the next couple of years, I was alone." Peggy continued again after she realized the man before her was not going to be able to come up with a reply. She understood that he needed time, having just woken up from an apparent death and having to deal with a whole new world. But that did not help to lessen the guilt or pain that stung her very being at his silence. "Because I couldn't find anyone like you. Every man that had come up to me, I compared them to you, and it was obvious no one could match up, Steve. So, I threw myself into helping America win the war. I focused and planted all my energy and effort into fighting the war, but when it was over, all I felt was emptiness."_

"_Then _he_ came along?" Steve asked, looking up from his coffee briefly to meet Peggy's misty brown eyes. She nodded her head as her hand came up to play with her necklace a simple gold chain with a thin gold ring hung on it wistfully. _

"_I met Andrew during one of the award ceremony for the officers involved in the war. He was one of the two surviving soldiers in his brigade and was offered the Navy Cross." Peggy dropped the necklace and reached forward to grasp onto Steve's hand again, a look of determination etched in her aged features. "I loved him, but I've never forgotten about you. Ever. You have to believe me, Steven."_

_The soldier stared down at their newly connected hand once more and noted despairingly how different they were. His hand was still the same - smooth, tanned and firm. Peggy's hand however, was wrought with age spots and weathered lines. _

_For once in his life, Steve Rogers felt well and truly alone. _

_Everyone was gone or had moved on. He, on the other hand, was a man out of time, stuck in a world that he did not belong to, with no one to turn to for help. It was wrong, and for a moment, he selfishly regretted taking the Super-Soldier serum. __How could he stand to remain young and healthy when he should be sporting the same wispy white hair and intricate wrinkles Peggy had? When he could have been the one she married? The one who would be able to stay by her for the rest of her life?_

_Steve looked up at her for a second before nodding his head slowly and forcing a smile that he had hoped looked genuine, at her. It seemed to appease Peggy for a moment as a similar one found home on her face. It was the same smile that she had bestowed upon him when he had stepped out of the machine that had turned him into a super-soldier or when he had returned to the camp with the 400 men that were captured in HYDRA's fortress. It was that smile that prompted him to finally open his mouth and granted Peggy the words she _needed _to hear._

"_I understand, Peggy." Steve said, using his free hand to pat her smaller hand gently. His words felt like sandpaper against his tongue and he had to fight to keep from spewing out how he truly felt. "I'm glad that you found someone to take care and to… love you. I really am. It would have killed me, __to know that you had been waiting for me all these years. Now, how about we cast the bad things aside and you show me your family. I'm curious as to see how Peggy 'The English Femme Fatale' Carter's family are like."_

_And for the next half hour, he listened quietly as Peggy chattered proudly over her family while Steve lamented all that he had lost when he decided to sacrifice himself by crash-landing the plane._

* * *

"I was lost," Steve whispered, recalling Peggy's words from this afternoon. A scoff found its way out of his mouth as he looked away from the water and frowned. "I _am _lost."

"Do you need some help with directions then?"

* * *

**So, what do y'all think? Good/Bad?**

Rather excited to start this story. I've been having this idea floating around my mind ever since I came back from my first showing (that's right, I went for more than 1, which I believe many of you did too hehe). It kept bugging me so I had to pen it down. Now that the first chapter's down, I'm 1/4 way done with the second one, so do tune in for it.

Thanks for reading, anyways. xo.


	2. Hope

******Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Two: Hope_

* * *

The soft, silvery voice coming from beside Steve startled the soldier as he turned about in his seat and tensed his body for any form of incoming attack. So lost in his depressing thoughts he was that he had failed to notice when the young woman had dropped onto the empty spot on the bench beside him, hoping to find a bit of respite from the crowd.

A pair of clear green eyes blinked up at him from behind long, dark lashes as they held his ocean blue stare squarely while he fought to come up with a coherent reply. There was a slight sharp scrutinizing in her gaze as she studied him, a faint frown etched into her forehead. Due to the suddenness of her appearance, all Steve could do was stare while his mind drew a complete blank.

Steve's eyes broke away from the hypnotic hold her doe eyes seemed to have over him as he appraised the strange woman. She was clad in a brown polka dotted dress made of a soft, floaty material that moved with every wisp of the gentle spring breeze. A pair of red-framed sunglasses hung on the collar of her dress, which weighed the material down, revealing more of her…

"Uh," Steve stammered, looking away and flushing when he noticed the woman fidgeting uncomfortably under his unwavering stare on her chest. "N-no thanks, Ma'am."

"Are you sure?" She asked after a short moment of hesitation, quirking a sculpted brow at him. A smile tugged on the rosy apples of her cheeks as she spoke, showing off a set of pearly white teeth. "I promise I'm not the kind who'd lead you off in the wrong direction. I know the way around Central Park like the back of my hands,"

'_The what,' _he thought. His eyes darted to the woman's hands and frowned when he failed to see the relation between her hand and maps. "I'm sorry?"

The woman let out an amused chuckle as her slender hand reached up to tuck her dark brown hair behind her left ear, revealing a pair of large, quirky looking owl earrings. She eyed him in amusement and chuckled again at his baffled look. "I mean to say I know Central Park very well, a.k.a like the back of my hand. Do you not know the back of your own hands well?"

Steve chuckled and nodded his head quietly, flushing in embarrassment at how stupid he must look to her. _'What in the world was a.k.a?' _ He thought. It was truly a bizarre new world filled with weird people and their eccentric expressions and customs. He was about to reply her when a sudden movement from over her shoulder caught his attention.

Blue eyes sharpened in alertness when he saw the familiar face of Agent Hill stepping out from behind a heavily loaded push cart selling vintage dresses of every colour. She had discarded her severe looking pantsuit in exchange for an outfit consisting of a pair of light-wash jeans and a blue sweater, which Steve supposed was to ensure she blended in well enough with the crowd for him not to notice her. It must have been time for him to get back to the headquarters, for her to reveal herself to him.

'_No wonder Fury granted me the chance to meet up with Peggy so readily,' _he noted with a soft scoff, remembering how the director had given him the permission quickly. _'He's already arranged for his trusty agent to tail me the entire time.'_

Hill's boots clad feet carried her towards him, causing Steve to tense, before she stopped in her tracks to take a seat on the bench a few feet away from his. She sent him a surreptitious nod in acknowledgement and was about to look away when her eyes focused on the woman beside him, who was now turning to look over her shoulders to see what had caught Steve's attention, a confused frown on her face as she scanned the premises. Hill's blue orbs widened in mild surprise, a tiny secret smile tugging on her usually stoic face before she turned away quickly, acting for the world that she was just someone else who came to the park for a bout of fresh air like everyone else.

"Hello? Sir?" A hand waved itself about before his eyes as Steve's attention was once again pulled back to the woman sitting beside him. "Are you alright, sir?"

"Yes, yes." Steve said. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Are you sure you don't need any directions anywhere? You said so yourself that you're lost," She pointed out, signaling to the fact that she had sat beside him long enough to catch him talking to himself. "You look really lost too,"

"I-" Steve let out his third sigh of the day. He sorely wished for the woman to just stop talking already and leave him be; but once again, the higher powers up in the Heavens seemed to like watching him suffer that day. "I'm just new to the city,"

"Oh?" She smiled at him. "Where did you come from?"

Steve bit back his annoyance at her genuinely curious look and whirled around, choosing instead to focus on something calming. Something like the lake. That's it. Watching ducks swimming about is calming. "Somewhere far away,"

"Welcome then, to the ruthless concrete jungle known as New York City," She said, eyeing his pensive expression with an interested look in her eyes.

"Thank you, Ma'am." No matter how annoyed he could be with her insistent talking, he was not going to forget the manners that were driven into him as a young child.

The strange brunette smiled once more, teasingly at Steve it seems, but at what he did not know and did not care to know. The two strangers shared the seat in a shrouded cloud of awkwardness on Steve's side, causing him to be the one fidgeting this time while the lady settled for simply glancing at him with little smiles of amusement every once in a while. Despite having slept for seventy years, little has changed about him, namely his inability to converse with womankind and the awkwardness that rolled off of his body in waves when he was around them.

He wondered if perhaps women in this age were as outspoken and friendly and inquisitive towards complete strangers as the one sitting beside him and felt for the innumerable time that day just how out of touch and out of place he was in this new world.

Yet another sigh escaped him as his shoulders sagged just that slightly. He felt tired, so very tired. It was a kind of empty feebleness that was planted deep inside his very being, a place he couldn't pinpoint exactly. He was exhausted and drained from thinking about what he was going to do with himself now that he had been thawed out of the ice, looking not a year older than when he had crashed into the Arctic. It did not help matters that he had stayed up the whole of last night due to the nerves of finally seeing Peggy again, the next morning.

There was nothing left for him here - no wars to be fought, no country to defend and no dame to settle down with. Right now, he was just a man out of time with no home, no friends or family and no means of making himself useful. What business did he have in a place where people rely so very heavily on technology? Steve ran his fingers through his hair, mussing the neat blonde locks up.

If there was one thing Steve Rogers detested more than bullies, it was the mortifying sense of incompetence. He had gone through most of his life feeling useless and incapable and weak, which were mainly the reasons why he was always picked on by men bigger and stronger and meaner than him.

Steve wanted to be able to fight back sorely; to win his own battles without the help of his best friend and to be able to serve his country in their time of need. He was determined to turn his life around, and that was why he agreed to have Dr. Erskine implant the Super-Soldier Serum in him.

However, he regretted that decision greatly right now.

"Here,"

Steve was pulled out of his reverie at the sound of her wispy voice for the second time that afternoon, only to be drawn towards the brown bag being held out in the space between them. It was a simple brown paper bag with the words _'The Little Black Pony'_ stamped across its surface in an old curly script. The hand holding out the bag towards him shook it a little when Steve merely stared at the bag in confusion.

"Ma'am?"

"Go on," The brunette implored, shaking the bag again. Something rolled around the bottom of it lightly. "Take it."

"May I ask why?"

"Treat it as a sort of welcoming gift."

Steve chuckled weakly and pushed her outstretched hands back towards her gently. "It's alright, Ma'am. I'm fine, thank you."

The young woman sighed, rather exasperatedly and heavily one could say, as she looked at the soldier squarely in his blue eyes. "I didn't want to say it but you leave me no choice. You are not fine. No offense really, but you looked like someone just ran your puppy over with a tank machine. _Multiple times. _So, no, you're not fine. Here, just take it."

Steve blinked at the young woman's sudden spill of words. Not only was she strange and terribly outspoken, she was also as stubborn as a bull and oddly perceptive.

"Oh. Uh, thanks," He finally worked up, mustering a small smile. He took the bag from her and received an approving nod in return. "I guess,"

It was then that Agent Hill stood up from her seat on the bench slowly and succeeded in capturing Steve's attention. Slyly, she raised her brows at him and nodded once in the direction of the gates before tapping the glass face of her watch on her wrist and walking off without another look in his way.

Taking that as a hint that Fury wanted him back at S.H.I.E.L.D., Steve stood up from the bench, the bag still clutched tightly in his hand as the woman looked up at him curiously.

"I uh - I've got somewhere I need to get to," Steve shook the bag gently. "Thanks for the gift and your kind offering for assistance, Ma'am. Have a good day,"

With a short and curt bow at the end of his rushed farewell, Steve turned and quickly stalked towards where Hill was heading to, leaving the woman in a stunned silence.

'_What a strange lady,' _Steve thought as he looked down at the paper bag clutched tightly in his hand. _'Strange, but oddly comforting.'_

Once he had managed to force himself out of the crowded gate (thanks to his tall height and bulky frame), his eyes scanned the street for a sign of the agent. The entire street was parked with cars and other automobiles of every colour and design, leaving Steve slightly confused as to where S.H.I.E.L.D.'s trademark black sedan could be.

"Captain Rogers,"

Hill stood beside one of the smaller, silver car that was parked a little way to Steve's left. The agent opened the door and beckoned him in before hopping into the car after him.

"Was Fury so afraid that I'll get lost in the city that he had to send you to tail me around?" The sarcasm in Steve's words was not lost on the female agent as she nodded her head at the driver to start their journey back to the headquarters.

"It was necessary, Captain. A lot has changed around here, you might get a little… _confused_."

"You don't think I know that?" Steve muttered under his breath and turned to look out the window. A faint crunch came from the side of him when he shuffled about in his seat, causing him to pick up the paper bag he had forgotten about momentarily.

"Are all women that _friendly_ in this age?" He asked, turning the bag over in his hands inquisitively. He knew the agent mostly likely understood whom he was talking about and did not bother elaborating his question. Hill's stoic face was directed towards the front as usual, though her eyes darted to him at his question.

"Not really." She answered, as short and as bluntly as always. "You're just lucky."

"Huh," Steve let out a little breath and wondered if she knew just how flawed her answer was. "Lucky."

* * *

"What a strange man," The lone woman left sitting murmured quietly to herself. She wriggled about in her seat and pushed her back against the back of the aged bench. "Did he actually just bow to me?"

Holly Fairchild crossed her arms against her chest and thought back to the man. There was something about him that was just so familiar, but for the life of her, she simply couldn't figure out what it was at that moment.

For the entire morning, she had been walking around the park, squeezing with and being pushed and nudged by the crowd as she searched for a perfect birthday gift for her six-year-old niece, Sarah. It was going to be her birthday celebration the coming Saturday and Holly thought the festival was a perfect place to get a little something for her.

It took her a long time of wandering around the tents before she finally settled on a little cart parked by the corner of the entire festival. As compared to the other stalls, this little corner was relatively emptier and quieter, for not many visitors would take the time and effort to trek all the way to the end of the area. However, it was also older and slightly grimier than the other stores, what with its muddy wheels and ragged homemade banner. Even so, the state of the tarnished and rundown cart could not take away the bright luster of the items the old couple was selling.

They were a pair of kindly elderly, with hair an identical shade of white and faces marred with wrinkles. The old man was a tall, skinny man while his wife was a portly and stout little woman who had greeted Holly cheerily when she had stopped by their little corner.

Glass flowers made with the most exquisite of all workmanship were laid out in front of her in little bouquets of glittering colour. There were vivid blue geranium brooches, bold red poppy bracelets and gorgeous pink rose necklaces. The colours shone and glittered when they were caught by the light of the morning, and Holly couldn't help but be amazed by the kaleidoscope display in front of her. She spent the next half hour at the little cart before she finally settled on the little white snowdrop tucked away under the larger and flashier flowers. Snowdrops has always been one of her favourite flowers. It was an under appreciated species due to its small, negligible size and plain white colour but Holly liked it because snowdrops are the first flowers to bloom right after winter when spring was slowly appearing.

"_You've got an eye for the smaller things, Missy." The tall and skinny old man said, casting her a fatherly smile as he wrapped up her purchase. "This snowdrop is the only one we've ever made."_

_He pointed a thumb in the direction of his wife saying, "She said they were too plain, and that no one was going to buy it. And I said, 'Well, then the one who did musta have had a good eye for the truly beautiful things in life,'"_

"_Each and every one of our flowers have got a meaning," He continued, passing the bag to Holly and taking the bills from her hand. "That little one you've got there was the only one out the whole cart that means 'Hope'."_

_'Huh,'_ she mused, thinking back to the strange man whom she had so readily given away the snowdrop to. Lost blue eyes flashed across her mind. _'He does looked like he needed some hope in his life,'_

The loud chime of her cellphone broke her musings as she picked her bag up and rummaged through the pile of wreckage that had built up in it over the months. After taking out a pile of used tissue papers, some old electrical bills and some of Tobie's cat treats, Holly's finger finally came into contact with the vibrating device as she pulled it out with a triumphant cry.

A smile stretched across her rosy face at the sight of the familiar name flashing across the screen. "Hey Uncle P,"

"Holly, it's really time for you to clear out your bag," The voice on the other line said. "And what have I told you about calling me Uncle P?"

"You hating on the nickname don't mean I'll stop using it." Holly chuckled. "And I'll clear out my bag when I'm no longer able to fish my phone out of it completely. I like surprising myself with the things I find in my bag randomly. It's fun,"

"You're such a weird child,"

"And you just realized this, how?" She rebutted cheekily. "What help do you need this time?"

"What makes you think I need your help with anything?" Her uncle said. Holly could almost imagine the eyebrow raise he was giving her with his stoic, blank face still in place. "Can't I just call to check up on you?"

"No, really. What is it? I've still got to go look for Sarah's birthday gift,"

'_Since I impulsively gave it away to a stranger,' _she thought.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, before a heavy sigh greeted Holly's ears. "I have no idea what this is beyond my level of expertise, and I'm quite clearly an expert at a lot of things." Another sigh. "This is the last and _only_ time, I promise."

"What is it?"

Another beat.

"Red or white roses?"

A bubble of laughter broke free from Holly's lips. "Seriously? You're being so stressed out because of that? Why are you buying roses anyways?"

Another heavy sigh sounded through the line. "It's for Kate, remember her? We're having dinner tonight,"

"Ah yes, the _cellist_." Holly nodded, finally understanding the reason for her uncle's rare display of distress. "You like her a lot, don't you?"

The line was silent for a moment as she unwrapped a soft and slightly melted toffee that she had found while digging for her phone.

"_Just_ red or white?"

"Neither. They're so cliché." Holly replied, her words slightly muffled by the candy in her mouth. "You should get her a bouquet of red camellias. I heard from Lana once that it meant you like the person or something like that."

"Understood. Well, good luck on finding a gift for Sarah that meets your sister's requirements then."

"What? Just like that?" Holly made a face at her uncle's brusque way of ending the conversation and huffed. "No verbal declaration of gratitude or a promise of complimentary dinner for saving your date?"

"I'll get you your favourite red velvet cake from _Luna_."

"Deal." Holly replied readily. "Good luck tonight, Uncle P. I'm looking forward to that cake."

With that, the call ended, leaving Holly with her still unfinished mission of getting a birthday present as the crowd around her seemed to thicken, much to her dismay.

* * *

Wow. Just wow.

427 hits, 13 favs (!) and 44 alerts? I'm truly surprised and encouraged by all of you! Especially to the 7 who reviewed: **garnet86, Queen, skeletalshock, LoveLive218, .colour, ecklecktick AccioVoldermortsNose **(love your username btw haha)

I don't think you guys have _any _idea how happy it makes me to see new emails alerting me of new subscribers, fav-ers and reviewers.  
Hope this chapter makes up for all the love you've given me! Feel free to drop me a review or a personal message even, if you like/dislike something. I welcome all comments and will take them into consideration)

xo.


	3. Interlude

******Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Three: Interlude_

___**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything (plot/characters) you recognize from Marvel. I do, however, own my character, Holly and the storyline._

* * *

Phil Coulson was a man of little words.

It wasn't that he wanted others to see him as 'mysterious' or some other corny disposition intentionally, though his stern and cold expression coupled with his sharp suit attire did not help matters. He was just someone who, quite simply put, preferred to let his actions speak for themselves. To him, talking was exhausting and sometimes _useless_, and words don't always get your point across as well as actions do.

He wasn't anti-social, not at all. Coulson could bust out a mean dance move when the mood calls for it, and he was quite a natural at humour (though it can get a little dry sometimes) in social circumstances. He was just someone who was more along the lines of _'I talk when I have to.'_

Furthermore, his job at S.H.I.E.L.D. did not require him to talk too much or to talk often, and it suited him well. All he needed to do was to carry out what Fury had assigned him with. Simple as that. Most of the assignments merely required him to direct men around as he retrieved the item or the person he wanted with a few choice words here and there and a point of his weapon at anyone and his job was complete; straightforward and fuss-free.

Right now, however, the usually reticent agent was filled with words and appeals that were threatening to burst out of his pursed mouth at his superior.

Following the catastrophic debacle at Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S the remote subterranean research facility where S.H.I.E.L.D. had been holding research experiments on the Tesseract, Coulson and Hill had been given orders to declare a Level 7 on the crisis almost immediately. They were then sent out on separate appointments to recruit the team of candidates that Fury had deemed beneficial to the situation when Coulson was being called back to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters for an urgent meeting with the director.

"Sir, with all due respect, I… I am not agreeable to this impromptu addition." Coulson said as he eyed the file that lay open on the desk before him in apprehension. His blue eyes studied the familiar subject in the picture and the determination for him to refuse this new recruitment heightened.

"That's fine with me," Fury replied. His dark gaze was trained firmly on his trusted agent. "Because your approval is _not_ needed for me to carry out this recruitment. I'm just giving you a head's up about it."

Coulson's head snapped up from the file as a sharp glare entered his blue eyes at Fury's careless words. "_Sir._ We do not know the magnitude of the Tesseract's power and the limit of her abilities. This could prove to be potentially disastrous on so many levels."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Coulson. War is on us right now. I am willing to deck out every means possible if it ensures avoiding a full-blown conflict with Loki." Fury crossed his arms against his chest and stared across at the man before him. "You and I both know that she's the only one who can help with containment, should the cube's full potential be unleashed."

Silence hung thick in the air of the office as Coulson tried to make sense of the jumble of words that were shouting out at him in his head. He knew he had to stop this, but he did not know _how. _Because when Fury wanted something, Fury gets it, no matter what.

"She will not agree to this."

Fury nodded and steeple his fingers in front of him. "I have other means of making her agreeable."

"You promised me to keep her out of anything that has to do with S.H.I.E.L.D," Contempt coated Coulson's words, thick and heavy. Anger rolled off him in waves as his blue eyed stare burned into Fury. "You gave me your word."

"I did."

"_And?"_

"Phil," Fury sighed. "_Listen_. Your emotions are clouding your judgement. _We are at war. _The division needs every help possible right now to combat the Asgardian before this national crisis turns into an international affair. I assure you we will only use her to contain the cube when we are left with no other choice."

There was a short bout of silence as Coulson regarded the man's words, his eyes now trained back onto the file. Worry and anxiety tinged his nerves. He had seen the destruction the cube had caused the research facility and he couldn't help but feel highly unsettled by the thought of a human being dealing with such large amount of energy.

"I'm giving you the chance to retrieve her, Coulson. She will be far more compliant and comfortable if you were to be the one who briefed her on everything." Fury said. He shut the cream folder and pulled it back towards him. "If you don't think you can do it, I have Hill and Sitwell at the rea-"

"No." Coulson snapped. He stood up from his chair and grabbed the folder from the table roughly. "No, I'll do it."

The agent then turned, strode towards the door in heavy steps and pulled it open harshly. With shoulders tensed under the pressure of the pending meeting, Coulson looked back at Fury for the last time, a look of sheer conviction in his eyes.

"You just make damn sure to keep your promise this time, _Sir."_

* * *

Hi guys! Alright, so it's been a little more than a day since my last chapter, but I've still decided to go ahead and post this.

It's an interlude of sorts, more like a teaser for the next chapter and my shortest one so far. Chapter 4 is still in works, so I hope you readers will be able to hang tight while this little one tide you over.

Yes, the Son of Coul called Phil will be playing a minor but important part in this story. Ever since watching how he threatened Tony Stark with 'I will taser you and watch you drool into the carpet while I watch Supernanny', I was greatly amused and vastly fascinated by his character.

Once again, I'm overwhelmed by your support. Terribly encouraged and touched by all your subscribing and reviewing and favourite-ing this story. It's pushing me to update quickly so you guys don't have to wait too long. Waiting kills.  
Much loves to these wonderful people: **.colour, RaeTheRandom, 2ndstar2daRight2, Dr Moustachio Girl, thrufirewithoutaburn **(double review yay!), **marie potter riddle, AccioVoldemortsNose, garnet86, Wolflihood, LoveLive218 **and finally **hullabalooh **for all your lovely reviews and comments!

_They make me smile as much as when Captain America's ass appeared on my screen during the punching bag scene)_

Do drop me a review if you wish to give me more moral motivation! I love reading them! They give me the fuzzy feelings inside and makes me feel like a unicorn to know that people actually like what I write haha

xo


	4. Reluctant: Part I

******Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Four: Reluctant (Part I)_

* * *

Holly was just about to head to bed for a nap when her doorbell rang, the loud chime of it breaking the peaceful silence in her townhouse. She had just ended a quiet session of yoga exercises and had changed out of her athletic clothes, for a short nap with her cat when the blasted ringing echoed through the house.

Seeing as how today was one of the rare days that she gets to keep for herself with no errands to be carried out and no guests to entertain the 24-year-old was looking forward to spending the entire day completing lazy activities such as yoga, napping, reading and finally getting reacquainted with her dusty and neglected wine cabinet. It had been a horrible week at work thus far, and all she wanted to do was to get some good old alone time.

As a nurse working in the trauma department of St Michael's Medical Centre, Holly was trained to see and deal with horrible medical conditions. Gory, freak accidents at work, bloodied stabbing or shooting cases, amputated limbs and broken bones jutting out of skin tissues, she's seen it all and was prepared for them. That week, however, topped the chart and beyond when she along with her colleagues, Lana and Elizabeth, were assigned to tend to a patient who was sent in from a nightmarish automobile accident in uptown Manhattan.

The patient, a 35-year-old male named John Parker, was wheeled in by the paramedics through the doors of the hospital, bloodied and convulsing against the restraints of the gurney. There were obvious signs of head trauma and broken ribs, but the most horrific of all the fatal injuries on his battered body was the gapping wound in his lower abdomen.

Thick blood the colour of a bright, angry red gushed out of the deep monstrous hole and poured over the side of the gurney and onto the floor, leaving a trail of crimson from the ambulance all the way to the ER.

Blood, Holly could deal with. She was used to seeing messy gushing wounds as a trainee.

It was the sight of the exposed pink intestines waiting to push themselves out of Parker's abdomen that had left her rooted to the vinyl hospital floor. Her breath escaped her lungs in a whoosh, and all she could do was stare after the slimy guts with wide, glassy eyes.

"_Fairchild! What the hell are you doing?" Dr. Adams snapped when he realized only two out of three his nurses were there with him. _

_Lana and Elizabeth had already jumped into action as they busied themselves with checking the patient's vitals and connecting the various medical machines. They had years of experience under their belt, and were no longer surprised by the type of patients that came in through the doors. Holly, on the other, had only started at St. Michael's less than six months ago and so, was relatively new to seeing guts falling out of one's body._

"_Fairchild! Get over here right now!" Dr. Adams' sharp call of her name snapped her out of her blank staring as the brunette scurried towards the three, taking care to avoid slipping on the puddles of blood. She grabbed the medical gloves from the cart quickly and put them on before turning towards the doctor for his orders. _

"_Push the intestines in."_

_Holly looked up at the doctor and blinked. "W-what?"_

"_Put your hands on the wound and push the goddamn guts back into the body!" Dr. Adam's frustrated brown eyes flashed at her as he emphasized each and every one of his words slowly. _

_Holly hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. She moved towards the gurney robotically and took a deep breath, imagining the man laid down in front of her as a mere medical dummy used for training. _

'Suck it up, Holly.' _She told herself as she took another deep breath; her hands poised over the mess of guts sticking out of the wound. _'You're here to save lives, so stop being a wimp!'

_With that, she closed her eyes and dove right in, digging her hand into the wound as the warmth of the intestines surrounded her petite hands._

Even thinking back on it right now still sent a shudder down Holly's spine.

The doorbell rang once more just as she was coming down the stairs to the foyer with her newly adopted Scottish Fold kitten, Tobie, pawing alongside her quietly. She was almost there when her big toe came into harsh contact with the crooked, black iron leg of the floor lamp placed at the side of the stairs.

"Damn it!" She swore, bringing her feet onto the side of the couch to assess the damage done. Holly glared hard at the accursed floor lamp that had been the cause of her pain ever since she had moved into the townhome. "I really need to get rid of that."

That's what she always told herself.

But she knew, deep down inside, she would never get rid of the ugly floor lamp with its spindly iron wrought stem and weird claw-like lamp shade. She would never get rid of it like how she would never discard anything that came with the house. She simply couldn't bear to.

The two-storey Greenwich Village townhouse belonged to her parents, but it came under her ownership when they passed away when she was eight. After she was sent to live with her uncle, she entrusted the care and lease of the land to him, up until the age of eighteen where she moved out and sought home in the neglected house. However, not much had changed about the place. The only things Holly had thrown out were the beds and the ghastly lime green curtains her mother was so fond of while everything else in the house stayed virtually the same. The used decoration and furniture was like an anchored comfort blanket for her. When she had had a tough day at work, all she had to do to feel better was to go back home, take a seat on the couch and pop in one of the vinyl records her father had been an avid collector of. It made her feel like the memories of her parents had yet to fade away, even if she could hardly picture their faces now.

"Coming!" She called out when the doorbell rang once more and threw her favourite oversized cardigan around her willowy body. Holly then reached down and picked Tobie up into her arms before opening the door slightly, revealing a familiar man on the other side of the entrance.

"Uncle Phil!" The brunette smiled brightly. She pulled open the door wider and stepped aside to let the man in. "You're lucky. I was just about to settle in for a short nap,"

Coulson stepped into the homey threshold while staring at the seemingly docile animal in Holly's arms warily. Tobie stared up at the new stranger with round marble like green eyes before looking away, disinterested.

Holly pulled the little white and grey fur ball up to Coulson's line of sight and pushed it closer towards the man, only to have him back up smoothly with a weak smile. "Phil, meet Tobie, my newly adopted son. Isn't he just the most adorable kitten ever?"

"Yes. Simply the cutest." deadpanned Coulson, passing the box of Luna's red velvet cake to Holly before making his way into the sitting room.

"You're the best!" Holly cheered, bending to place the kitten on the floor then bringing the pastry box into the open styled kitchen that was linked to her living room. She placed the box onto the island counter before moving about the airy kitchen for her serving utensils and plates. "It's been almost a month since I last had this. I was suffering from withdrawals."

_Luna's_ specialty cream cheese frosted red velvet was a weakness for Holly. It was her Achilles' heel, and with a box of these, she would almost always, miraculously and without fail, agree to whatever you ask of her. It was a pain to get her hands on a box, however, as there would always be a long queue winding out onto the street from inside the bakery all day, everyday. And Holly was _not _a big fan of anything that included squeezing with a crowd of people in a tight space.

"Water or coffee?" Holly asked, poking her head around the fake wall that acted as a separator between the kitchen and the living room. A chuckle burst forth from her pink lips though, when she saw how her uncle was trying to ignore Tobie's insistent pawing on his pant legs.

"Water's fine."

Grabbing two bottles of water from the chiller, she set the drinks onto the acrylic tray before bringing it into the living room along with the cake and the serving plates.

"It's been so long since I last heard from you. I was getting a little worried," Holly admitted, placing the tray onto the coffee table and proceeded to dish out the pastry. She offered it to Coulson who merely shook his head and took the bottle of water instead.

"Something came up at work," He replied after taking a gulp of the cool, thirst quenching fluid. "_Complications._"

Holly let out a murmur in acknowledgement before diverting all her attention onto the slice of red velvet goodness on her plate. A moan of approval escaped her lips as her eyes slid close at the burst of flavours, sweet and rich and creamy, in her mouth.

"Oh my god, this should be made illegal." She muttered, taking yet another voracious bite. "I swear I can eat this everyday for the rest of my _life_."

Coulson smiled in amusement at her reaction. "How was Sarah's party?"

"It was alright. I was only there long enough to watch her unwrap her presents."

"And Jessica?"

"Same as always," Holly shrugged indifferently. "She grumbled about how my gift was not going to be helpful to 'shaping her daughter's developing mind'. Sarah loved it though. Said she had always wanted to have a humongous soft toy, but her dear mother thought they were detrimental to her mental and physical well being. Not in those exact words, obviously."

She took another bite of the cake and huffed. "Honestly. How is a bloody stuffed animal going to be damaging to Sarah's development? Jess can be such a big bag full of crazy sometimes."

Coulson chuckled under his breath. It has always amused him to see the two half-sisters' interactions with each other. Jessica and Holly Fairchild had what he liked to call a 'cliché half-sibling rivalry'.

If anyone were to see the two of them on the street together, they would never have guessed that they were actually sisters. While Holly had dark hair and light eyes, Jessica was blessed with red hair and dark eyes from her mother. The only thing the two shared were the identical smiles they had both inherited from their father, Robert Fairchild.

Jessica spent most of her teenage years tolerating Holly's presence, while the younger of the two spent her childhood innocently wondering what it was that made her older half-sister dislike her so much. It did not help things when it was obvious to everyone who knew the family that Robert doted on Holly more. Which was made quite obvious and had further incensed Jessica when she knew that her father and Helene had left Holly their townhouse while all she got was the destroyed penthouse apartment that still held the remnants of their deaths.

"James was really nice about it though, he even offered to drive me home 'cause it was already getting late. But I think that was an excuse for him to escape Jess' wrath on the kid who broke her vase." Holly added about Jessica's stockbroker husband as she reached for another slice of the cake. "I just don't understand what a nice and friendly man like him is doing with a shrewd and anal woman like Jessica."

"Feelings take away the flaws in someone you adore,"

"Yeah?" The young woman sent her uncle a teasing look and a short wriggle of her brows. "You'd know all about that, wouldn't you? How did the date go anyway?"

"Great." Coulson muttered, rolling the bottle of water in his hands. He fidgeted uncomfortably at the sudden limelight on him. "She went back to Portland."

Holly sent him a look of confusion. "Should I take that with a spoon of sarcasm? Or should I assume she went back to Portland because of other reasons that does not pertain to you being a bad date?"

"The dinner went very well." He corrected. "She had to leave urgently to stand in for a sick cellist."

"Did she like the flowers?"

Coulson nodded.

"That's good. It's about time you found someone, Phil. It's always been about your job for you." Holly placed her empty plate back onto the coffee table, smiling fondly when Tobie immediately jumped onto it and started licking up the remaining crumbs. "S.H.I.E.L.D this, S.H.I.E.L.D that. That organization is taking away your love life, or lack thereof."

Coulson tensed at the mention of his agency. He stole a glance at the black laptop he had brought along with him as he thought of how he was to go about breaking the entire military crisis to her. Holly was not fond of S.H.I.E.L.D, with very good reasons why. She rarely brought up the subject of his job, unless it was to gripe and criticize it; it was a sore subject between the two.

"There's something I need your help with."

The young lady narrowed her eyes at him teasingly and chuckled as she leaned back into her suede couch. "That's why you bought the cake, didn't you? As a bribe to get me to help you."

"This is important." Coulson snapped as the anxiety finally got to his calm demeanour. Holly's smile slid from her face at the change in his tone and softened her features. She watched as he pulled the slim black device from beside him and flip it open, revealing it to be a laptop with a familiar insignia etched into its glossy surface.

"No." She said immediately, glaring hard at the dark eagle logo. Her body tensed in its place. "I'm sorry, Phil. But I'll pass on the favour this time."

Coulson merely stayed silent as he started up the device. He knew without a doubt that Holly would refuse the moment she knew it had something to do with the agency.

The computer lit up as he quickly pulled the screen closer to him and locked it in place before tapping the pass code for access. He then pushed the device in front of the young woman who was now staring down at her lap.

"Holly, _please. _Just hear me out before you say anything." Coulson beseeched. "It's important that you understand. Fury's hell-bent on you assisting this mission, and you know he gets what he wants. I'm not surprised if the SWAT team has already surrounded the entire street and is just waiting to rush in and grab you when I step back out alone."

"I don't want to be tangled up in your job, Phil. Not anymore. They've already caused enough trouble in my life."

"I understand, Hols. But this is impor-"

"No, you don't understand!" The wall lights above the couch flickered. "They're the reason why my parents are _dead_!"

"This isn't about you! Or your parents! _This is about saving the entire goddamn planet!_" The agent lashed out. He looked away then and took a deep breath to calm himself down. Coulson could feel the anger and stress in him ready to snap and launch itself onto the furious woman.

Holly blinked up at him in shock at his outburst. Her mouth slipped open in surprise as she tried to form a coherent rebuttal, only to be cut short when Coulson's voice filled the air once more, much softer than before.

"This isn't _about_ you. Yes, S.H.I.E.L.D's partly at fault for their deaths. But that does not make the world punishable for it."

A thick, strained silence blanketed the two as they sat, wondering what to say to the other in this heated moment.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-I'm sorry." Holly shook her head in embarrassment and tucked her hair behind her left ear. She took a deep breath and willed her temper away, knowing it wouldn't get them anywhere if she were to be raging at her uncle impulsively. "That was rude of me,"

"I get your anger, Holly. But this thing this time round, it concerns everyone on this planet, and Fury thinks your help is crucial." Coulson said. "You know I wouldn't tell you anything about S.H.I.E.L.D unless it concerns you directly."

He tapped the screen and pulled up a page with a glowing blue cube and the word '**TESSERACT: LEVEL 7**' heading the page.

"Late last year, the division came into the custody of an artifact called the Tesseract, a cube that Fury think might be the key to a source of limitless sustainable energy for the whole planet." Coulson explained and tapped the screen to zoom in on the picture. The glowing blue cube filled up the dark screen, showing the waves of energy in the Tesseract in clear motion. "Soon after, we launched Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S on an inhabited land where research experiments were being carried out to tap into the energy of the cosmic cube. However, two days ago, the cube was pilfered by external terrorists and-"

He minimized the picture of the cube and pulled up another image this time of the devastation at Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S.

"Oh my god…" Holly gasped, eyes wide in horror at the destruction of the entire zone. The land had caved in where the facility was built, leaving an endless gaping hole in the sandy ground. "This cube… it did _that_?"

"Kind of. A little over a week prior to this, our team of researchers has been experiencing instability in the amount of energy released by the cube. Turns out, the Tesseract is actually a link to two portals one on Earth and the other from outer space."

Holly's brows rose skeptically. "Outer space?"

"We're not the only inhabitable world in the universe, Hols. There are others out there." Coulson said with a straight face.

"That sounds like a really sketchy sci-fi comic series. A really, really crappy one." She chuckled weakly, turning back to the laptop.

"It's about to get worst." The mild tone in the agent's words belied the tenseness in his features. He tapped the screen once more and brought up a set of four pictures; three men, two young and an elderly, and a device that looked strangely like a spear with a glowing gem at the tip. "The Tesseract opened the portal on the other side, thus clearing the way for external figures to enter the facility. This man-" He pointed at the gaunt face subject on the screen. "Singlehandedly brought down the place, compromised one of S.H.I.E.L.D's best agent and our head of research, Dr. Selvig, with a simple poke of his magic wand. _And_ he has the cube with him now."

"Who is he?" The man had a sharp, haggard face and a pair of piercing green eyes, which gave him a look as though he was starving and yearning for something that wasn't food. He had long black hair that was pulled back from his face and which curled out in various positions. His lean body was clad in what looked to be a suit of dark hardware leather and green and gold armour, making him appear even more menacing as he glared up at Holly from the screen.

"Loki. Of Asgard."

"Loki of Asgard? You mean… no. Oh, no. It can't be. It's supposed to be a myth." Holly said thinking back to the encyclopedia of legends and mythologies she had bought years ago and which was now tucked away in a dark corner of her attic.

"Apparently not. Asgard's real, Loki's real and his promise to rule the entire planet's real." Coulson explained. "He pretty much declared war on Earth before he took off with the Tesseract."

"Thor. Is he real too?"

Coulson nodded in response.

"Oh my god." Holly breathed out heavily. Her hand reached up to run it through her hair as she fought to make sense of everything the agent had just dumped on her. "_Oh my god. _This this is too much for me to handle. I can't what part am I to play in any of this? Fury must be out of his single-eyed mind if he thinks I can get the cube back for him."

"You, are our contingency plan."

* * *

Yes, I know. Can anyone say FILLER? I had this chapter split into 2 because it was way too long, and appeared too draggy. The second part will be up soon when I'm done writing it. Inspirations are hitting me right smack in the face, but my brain just can't seem to find the suitable words to pen them down.

Also, Coulson took me quite a while to write because I wasn't sure if he was in character or not and I really wanted him to be. I wanted to be able to show a new side of him, one that is reserved for his personal relationships without going OOC.  
Please do drop me a review about my version of Coulson. Is he going OOC? Did he say/do something that he obviously wouldn't? Is the story getting too slow/draggy for you?

Much thanks and love to: **ChinaDang, skeletalshock, Duffster21, artistical, garnet86, thrufirewithoutaburn, K, aaroniteXkryptonite, LoveLive218, TheRealJSpencer, Magical Faerie **and **Talee **for making my weekends with your reviews and comments!  
I love reading long comments, even if it's a whole lotta rambling. They amuse me hehe

xo.


	5. Reluctant: Part II

******Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Five: Reluctant (Part II)_

* * *

"_You, are our contingency plan."_

"Con- what now?"

Holly's brows were pulled low over her eyes as she regarded her uncle with confusion. There were too many big words being used during the half hour, and her mind was slowly losing attention.

"Contingency. Our back-up plan." Coulson explained patiently. "We're currently assembling a team of people to help us locate and retrieve the Tesseract for us. Fury is planning to get it back before Loki can fully utilize its power for nuclear warfare. However, should we fail to get the cube back before then, Fury plans to use you as containment for the Tesseract's energy before we can shut it down completely."

A short chuckle fell forth from Holly's lips first before she slowly dissolved into uncontrollable laughter. Tobie hopped up from his owner's lap at her sudden shuddering and let out an affronted mew before jumping off the couch entirely. "Right. That man's even more batshit crazier than I thought."

Coulson remained silent before opening a folder where a collage of pictures was stored reluctantly. The series of negative coloured photographs looked to be taken by a special camera and were all dated in a yearly chronological manner. Holly was the central figure in every one of them and was the only thing that will immediately draw your attention to it.

This was because she was the only one who had a weird halo of faint light surrounding her figure, acting like a second skin that was pulled tight over her original epidermis. As the years go by, the strange glow seemed to grow brighter and more intense until they stopped at the year 2012, where a seemingly normal picture with no external alteration was taken. But, if you looked really, really closely, you could still see the very faint but distinct opalescent threads wrapping around her form.

"What the hell?"

"The Director's been monitoring you, Hols. He's seen what you can do now. Your abilities… they've strengthened over the years."

"Did you know about this?" The brunette demanded, her angered gaze burning into Coulson. A gasp fell forth from her pink lips at his silent admittance. "You did. You knew and you let them spy on me?"

"It was to protect you."

"Protect me?" Holly let out a scoff at the incredulity of his words. "Don't you mean they were watching me to see when will be the prime time where they can make use of me? Like what they're planning to do right now?"

Golden sunlight pouring through the floor length windows showered the entire room in its rich hues. The bright light highlighted the unnatural glimmer on Holly's porcelain skin. It wavered and shimmered like iridescent waves floating just above her body as she clenched her fists and glared hard at Coulson.

"Fury was the one who wanted to keep me a secret. So if he was not going to use me at all, why would he be demanding for me to join this this whole convention of _crazy_?"

"He wants you to use the cover as the team's head nursing attendant to hide your real purpose for being there during meetings. That way, no one will know about you until we have no choice. Even though I'm against you even taking part in this, I thought it was a convenient excuse."

"Crazy. _All of you_!" She cried. "Completely, absolutely, _barking _mad!"

Coulson flinched noticeably at her harsh words. Even though he had expected her to put up a good, tough fight with him over the idea of helping S.H.I.E.L.D, he did not expect her to be more worked up over the fact that the agency had been keeping tracks on her the whole time.

"You're missing the whole point here." Coulson reasoned. "We are on the edge of a global catastrophe, and we need all the help we can get." A loud beeping came from the laptop as he let out an annoyed sigh and shut it down before disassembling it quickly. "There's not much time for us to argue over Fury's actions, Holly. We have to leave. Now."

"_Have to?_" She repeated incredulously. "I don't _have_ to do anything! The only thing I have to do is go back up to my bed and take a nice long nap because it's my day off and I _deserve_ this break!"

Hysterics laced her words, as her mind finally comprehended the severity and urgency of the situation. Her anger and frustration gave way to newfound fear and trepidation, which bubbled up inside her furiously. It was like an overfilled dam of nerves just waiting to give way under the sudden and immense pressure.

"Just yesterday, I had to stick my hands into a patient's body and push his guts back inside because they were falling out all over the place. I had to touch his bloody intestines and force them back in! _With my bare hands!_ And that's traumatizing enough as it is." Her arms were flying all over the place while she talked and Coulson could only watch in growing trepidation over her steady breakdown. "Then today - _today_, just when I thought nothing was going to go wrong and I could finally get started on that bottle of Pinot Noir, you had to come along with this stupid laptop from stupid S.H.I.E.L.D asking me to go on this stupid mission trying to find a stupid energy cube that could wipe out the entire _stupid _planet because it was taken by a God. _A freaking God! _One from a place where I read about in books! This I can't this _isn't_ normal life!" She threw her hands up in frustration. "I just wanted a nap!"

"Holly, Holly!" Coulson called out. He placed his hands firmly on the young woman's shoulder and gripped it tightly. "Okay. Let's just take a deep breath and calm down, okay? Come on, deep breaths; that's it, nice and easy."

"I didn't - I didn't sign up for this." Holly mumbled feebly, her face flushed and hair wild from her outburst. "I didn't sign up for any of this."

"None of us did." She shot her uncle a look at the obvious lie. "Okay, _most_ of us did, but that's not the point. The point is you're just coming along as our last resort. Most of S.H.I.E.L.D's contingency arrangements are never put to use because our first plans are usually, if not always, successful. For all you know, you might just be there to mend a few paper cuts and issue a couple of indigestion tablets. You'll be fine."

"But what if everything else fails?"

"It won't. We have a team of the best scientists working on effective ways to shut off the cube before it can get out of hand."

Holly shook her head stubbornly. "What if?"

"Then you'll do fine." He clapped his hands on her shoulders encouragingly and quirked a small smile that belied the worry he felt for the young woman. "You're Holly Fairchild, remember? You're Holly Fairchild and you can do anything."

A frown faded away from Holly's troubled face, at the familiar pep phrase her uncle had created when she was a young girl. She could still remember the first time he told her that to make her forget all her self-doubt.

* * *

_A young girl with long chocolate tresses sat staring at her blank cornflower blue walls as her hands fiddled with the edge of her dress' skirt, twisting and turning the soft yellow fabric around her little fingers._

_Her school bag, a mud stained pink Elmo backpack, lay on the carpeted floor with its contents spilled out of it. Broken crayons, drawing papers, textbooks and other odds and ends littered the place, but the girl did not move to clean them up even though she hated messes._

_A series of light knocks sounded from her bedroom door before a head popped through the opened slit. "Can I come in?"_

_Without waiting for a reply, the man stepped into the bedroom and mustered a soft smile at the silent girl. "Hey Holly-doll,"_

_First, it was just the welling up of her eyes. Then, it was the stinging of her nose and the first drop of tears before the young girl, Holly, burst into tears promptly. Her pale cheeks flushed red with her intensive sobbing and her petite body shook with her cries._

_The man, Phil Coulson, let out a sigh and strode forward quickly; taking a seat on the comfortable canopy bed. His left arm pulled the upset child close to his side and used his free hand to pat her on the top of her dark crown gently, hushing her with a soft voice._

_When the child's sobs had died down significantly, Coulson pushed her away gently and proceeded to kneel in front of her. He wiped the remaining tears away with the rough pads of his thumbs and looked into Holly's glassy and bloodshot eyes. _

"_Will you tell Uncle Phil what happened now?"_

_Holly sniffled and let out an occasional hiccup or two. She avoided looking into her uncle's clear, honest blue eyes and decided to stare down at the angry, red abrasion on her knees. "They said I was nobody's little girl anymore and that nobody wanted to be friends with someone who has no mommy or daddy."_

_Coulson's jaw tightened at the words that spilled from her mouth. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and made a mental note to dig up the backgrounds of the culprits and have a good long 'talk' with them._

"_And what happened next?"_

"_I told them I had a mommy and daddy but they just told me to shut up and pushed me into the mud." Holly pointed to her mud caked backpack and sniffled a little, seeing the mess that was her belongings. _

"_That's okay. Uncle Phil will get you a new bag, yeah? A better one." Coulson promised, not wanting her to burst into another round of tears. He knew how worked up she could be about dirtying her things. _

_No matter how much he loved the little girl in front of him, one round of female hysterics was more than enough for the rest of the month. __Not to mention, Holly Tears were the most awful kind of female tears out there. This type of tears were silent, and silent tears were the absolute _worst. _His niece had her own special way of crying, sniffling and rubbing at her eyes that made her look like the saddest, loneliest and most forsaken little child in the entire world. _

_He hated Holly Tears, that's all._

_Coulson looked down and frowned immediately when he saw her banged up knees. "Did they do this to you too?"_

_Holly shook her head. "I fell down when I was running home. Uncle Phil, I don't wanna stay there anymore. Can I go somewhere else? I don't wanna see them, I can't fight back."_

"_Of course you can!" Coulson said._

"_They're too big and mean and they come in groups." The young child stated matter-of-factly and jumped when a loud ringing filled the peaceful silence in the room._

_Coulson sighed and pulled the device from the pocket of his blazer jacket, frowning when he saw the familiar name of his colleague flashing across it. He rejected the call swiftly before composing a text message to him with nimble fingers flying across the keypad._

'Work can wait,' _he thought, turning all his attention back onto the little girl once more._

"_So what if they're big and mean and come in groups? I'm much bigger and meaner than them and it never stopped you from kicking me when I ate your ice-cream." Coulson chuckled, ruffling Holly's soft hair fondly._

"_You took the chocolate and raspberry swirl one." She stated petulantly, as though the flavours justified her actions. "You deserved it."_

"_Sure I did." He laughed, taking a seat on the bed once more._

"_They're still mean. I can't fight back against them. They'll _kill _me!" Holly's eyes widened in consternation as she imagined the way the bullies would kick or punch her and pull at her hair. Her little hands reached up and grabbed onto her hair in worry._

"_Just because you're smaller doesn't mean you can't land a mean punch. Your kick nearly crippled me that time!" Coulson said. "If your legs could break an adult like me, who's to say your hands can't do the same."_

_The young girl shrugged, still not seeing the argument the man was making. All she wanted to do now was to crawl into bed and mope the day away. Her whole being was dreading the thought of having to face the bullies at school the next day and it was causing her mood to sag even further down the proverbial scale._

"_C'mon, who are you?"_

_Holly frowned up at her uncle in bewilderment at his question. "I'm Holly, Uncle Phil, remember?"_

"_That's right." Coulson nodded his head approvingly. He held a finger to the middle of her forehead and left it here. "You, are Holly Fairchild." He said, poking her in the forehead. _"_And you, are nothing short of amazing." He poked once more. Holly winced and pouted, but her bright eyes never left her uncle's honest baby blues. _"_You are Holly Fairchild and you can do _anything_. Understood?"_

_The eight year old nodded her head as she flashed bright toothy grin at her uncle, now feeling significantly better and surer of herself. "I am Holly Fairchild and I can do anything."_

"_That's the spirit." Coulson patted her head before standing up from the bed. "Now, how about we patch those knees up over your favourite cake? Then I can teach you some moves so you can use it on those school bullies. No one will dare touch you anymore when you show it to them."_

* * *

Even though she had been given a weeklong suspension for knocking out one of the bullies' front tooth, Holly believed him. Wholeheartedly.

Because if there was something Phil Coulson was extraordinarily good at, it was making people believe in themselves. He had a knack, or a talent rather, of motivating them when they didn't think they could succeed and excel; when they didn't think they could fight back against the people that so sorely wished them to fall.

That was why Phil Coulson was Holly's personal superhero.

"You promise everything will be fine?"

Coulson raised both his brows at her as he tucked the laptop to his side. "When have I ever lied to you?"

"Fair enough," Holly shrugged and stood up. "I'll just go pack then - oh, wait, how long do I have to pack for?"

"Just bring the necessities. And by necessities, I mean at least two days worth of clothes and toiletries. Not your entire collection of books." The agent said, shooting a knowing look at the young woman's 'deer caught in the headlights' expression.

"I wasn't going to bring everything," She mumbled, going red in the face. Tobie pawed after his owner and climbed up the steps of the stairs slowly. He gave a soft but affronted mew when Holly nearly stepped on his marbled tail during her trudge up, resulting in her finally remembering his presence.

"Wait! Tobie!" Holly ran the short way down and stopped at the landing of the stairs. "What about him? I can't just leave him in the house; we don't know how long we'll be away."

Coulson cut a look at the kitten, watching as it began to chase its tail near Holly's feet. "We'll take him to the nearest pet clinic, I'm sure they'll be able to look after it for awhile."

"_Him_." Holly all but demanded as she sent her uncle a quick glare. "Him. Tobie's a boy. Stop calling him 'It' like you don't know his gender or name. That's rude, Uncle P. He has got feelings too,"

She then bent to pick up the kitten and turned away with an indignant huff, muttering under her breath about government agents not understanding animal's feelings before changing her tone of voice to one much softer as she cooed to the kitten in her arms.

Coulson sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose to still the faint throbbing beginning in his graying temples.

'_Yeah, that girl will definitely fit in with everyone else,'_ he thought sarcastically.

* * *

One thing Holly knew about S.H.I.E.L.D was that the organization had never once fail to surprise her with their resources, efficiency and stealthy nature.

True to Coulson's assumptions, two SUVs were parked along the street Holly lived on. Their glossy black shell and the dark tint of their windows stood out against the other homely, family vehicles parked around them and it seemed to Holly that the agents obviously wanted her to know they were there and that trying to escape was obviously futile. Though they were not the SWAT team Coulson had exaggerated about, their daunting presence still perturbed her a little with how badly Fury wanted her to report in.

He was truly a persistent man, if anything.

Furthermore, he had already sent other agents to the hospital to seek permission (though in Holly's eyes, he had really meant 'demanded and get it at all costs for her to take a long no-pay leave in order to assist a government agency) while Coulson was at her house, persuading her to join the assignment.

After a short and slightly tearful goodbye on Holly's part with her cat, she was quickly ushered back into the car as their chauffeur drove them to the airstrip Coulson had told her briefly about. It was a private airspace owned by S.H.I.E.L.D for their airborne vehicles, and was kept strictly out of bounds to civilians.

"The helicarrier will be out at sea," was all Coulson had said when Holly asked him why they had to take a plane out of Manhattan before he launched into a lengthy speech about what she should or should not do while aboard the helicarrier.

She had tuned him out then, having had her mind jam-packed with information earlier and chose instead to cast her focus upon the flying blur that was the scenery outside her window. They were fast on the way out of the city now as the skyscrapers were left behind them and were replaced by trees and a long stretch of road. Trepidation was rising steadily inside her at the thought of everything that had happened too fast, too suddenly and too dangerously.

Holly hated sudden changes.

Sure, she had to be prepared for surprises and impromptu call-in during sudden and mass admittance as a trauma department nurse and she was used to them. But because her career was already filled with such unpredictability, she preferred her personal life to be stable and within her own control. She liked control. It made her feel safe and secure. It made her feel like nothing could go wrong because she had everything in her own hands.

She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously as her mind buzzed loudly about the possible situations that could happen on the ship. Her uncle was still going on and on beside her, obviously not noticing that she wasn't paying attention. Feeling bad, she turned away from the window and towards her uncle, catching a random part of his never-ending lecture as they neared their destination.

"-wander around the place. If I don't see you with the team, you should either be in your room or the medical wards. I don't want to find your shot up body in one of the classified bunks just because you decided to play a little sightseeing onboard."

Holly smothered a chuckle at the worry lines appearing on his forehead. She knew her uncle to be a formidable man that could make even the biggest and meanest and strongest of men listen to him. But when it came to her, he was reduced to a big bag of parental nerves that he couldn't mask under his default blank expressions and deadpanned replies.

"Uncle Phil, relax. You're making me more nervous than I'm making myself."

"_I _am making myself nervous." He admitted as he rubbed his forehead with a frown. "This is a bad idea."

The young woman seated beside him raised her eyebrows at him in surprise. "Isn't it a little too late for that now? Besides, weren't you saying Fury wanted me to come in no matter the cost?"

Coulson turned to her with wide eyes. "We could move you. Far away. Somewhere no one could find you. Perhaps hide you away in Europe. You've always liked Ireland, haven't you? There's plenty of land there for you to disappear in."

"Well yes, but it's S.H.I.E.L.D we're talking about. Fury will still be able to locate me even if you catapult me out into space." Holly reasoned, laying a calming hand on her uptight uncle's arm. "Let's just relax, alright? We're nearing, aren't we?"

The chauffeur nodded curtly, not once taking his eyes off the road even though they were quite obviously the only car in the vicinity. "We'll be there in 10 minutes, Miss."

The two then spent the remainder of the ride talking about Holly's ordeal with human intestines yesterday. Her uncle was oddly fascinated by the thought of the patient's guts falling out of his body and had begun to grill her for other equally as gruesome encounters when they reached an intimidating gate flanked with two heavily armed uniformed guards. The entrance looked even safer than regular prison entries with its huge, impenetrable steel shutters.

The driver was then passed three slim, black devices by the gatekeeper, which he quickly distributed to both her and Coulson. The object looked like a rectangle whistle with an opening at the top that was wide enough for a finger to go in and a small LCD screen.

"Poke your hand through the opening. It'll take your blood sample." Coulson said nonchalantly as he stuck his hand into the small hole and pulled it back out without so much as a flinch.

"Blood sample?" Holly let out an appalled sound as her curious expression was replaced by an outrageous frown. "Whatever for?"

Coulson's device let out a short, sharp beep, along with the driver's. "Security purposes. You can't fake your blood work. Go on, quickly now."

The young woman let out a heavy sigh and slowly put her right forefinger into the device. There wasn't any form of forewarning of pain because instantly, a sharp sting had shot up her finger, causing Holly to wince more in surprise than from the pain. The device wasted no time in deciphering her blood, it seems, for the thing gave a similar beep and the words '**GRANTED**' flashed across the small LCD screen almost immediately.

The chauffeur took the devices and passed them back to the gatekeeper who gave a short nod in validation before jabbing his thumb into a button on his console. A loud, mechanic sound filled the air as the grey, steel doors split open in the middle, revealing a large vacant zone that had various vehicles parked neatly in it.

Their car came to a stop in one of the empty lots as Coulson and her got out quickly. The chauffeur took her bag from the boot and passed it back to her before getting back into the driver seat and restarting the car once more.

"Come on, we're meeting someone on the jet." Coulson said before he walked off, forcing Holly to follow after him quickly. She did not want to get lost in that place where suited men and women were most obviously hiding lethal weapons in their blazer pockets.

The two came to the only jet that had its ramp laid out and where several aviation officers were rushing about, preparing the plane for takeoff. Holly lingered behind to stare up at the majestic machine in awe, taking in the smooth grey metal body and the dangerous looking engines on either side of it.

Her legs then carried her up into the vehicle as she entered what looked to be a interior fit for a group less than ten. Lights and buttons and contraptions lined the entire inside of the jet while parachutes of every size and colour were stacked behind the seats neatly. Two pilots were already seated in their chairs, getting ready for departure as they poured over the controls while speaking quickly into their headsets.

When Holly turned to seek out her uncle, her eyes met a pair of familiar clear blue ones. It was the same pair of eyes she had encountered in Central Park less than two weeks ago; the same lost orbs that had prompted her to shove a gift in his face without even knowing his name.

Holly grinned in recognition and pointed at the man in surprise. "Hey! It's you,"

"Uh, Ma'am?" The blonde haired man looked awkward at being recognized by her and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. His plaid shirt was pulled tightly over his taut biceps, highlighting his shaped muscles and strong, squared shoulders. Holly had to physically pull her eyes away from his arms because she was just so fascinated by its sheer size and powerful stance.

Coulson looked between the two with a curious look in his eyes. "You two know each other?"

"Uhm, no, yes, I mean not real-"

"Well, yeah! We met in Cent-"

The agent raised his eyebrows at their contradicting replies. "So do you guys know each other or not?"

Holly placed her bag down by the seats and nodded her head. She was slightly hurt he had tried to deny their encounter, however short it was. "We've met. Briefly. I didn't get his name, though."

The agent regarded the young woman carefully and nodded his head. "Alright then. Holly, this is Captain Steve Rogers. Captain, this is my niece Holly Fairchild. She will be the medical nurse in charge of you and the team."

"Pleasure to meet you Ma'am." Steve's beefy hand took her smaller, softer one in a firm grip and gave it a curt shake before letting go and linking his hands behind his back in a soldier-like stance. "Again." He added after a short bout of hesitation.

"Yeah, you too - _Wait_. Captain Steve Rogers?" Holly turned towards Coulson who suddenly found the buttons around them interesting as his eyes scanned the premises. "As in _the_ 'Captain America_',_ Captain Steve Rogers? As in the guy whose trading cards you painstakingly collected and framed up?"

"They're the collector's edition, they have to be well guarded." Coulson defended indignantly. If he could blush, the agent would be flushing bright red by now. Chuckles broke forth from Holly's lips at her uncle's unusual embarrassed appearance, and even Steve was trying to hide the smile that was threatening to breakout across his face.

"It's all right, Uncle P. It's cute how you idolize the man," She then turned back to Steve with a good-natured smile. "I knew you looked familiar! I just couldn't figure out from where I've seen you before." She laughed again and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Turns out your face is littered around Phil's apartme-"

"Okay, now that we're all here - " Coulson cut in, sending the tickled young woman a quick glare. "Let's get settled in and ready for takeoff. Director Fury is expecting us."

"You're just embarrassed." Holly muttered under her breath. She then took a seat one spot away from Steve and fumbled with the strap that was supposed to serve as a safety precaution. Holly frowned.

_'What's the point of having this as a safety belt when the passenger couldn't even get in or out of it?'_ She thought, flustered, as she tried to figure out which strap was supposed to go with which buckle.

Holly gave up the struggle after a few minutes and turned to her side to see how the Captain had done his, only to realize that he had promptly ignored the safety contraption and was now looking at her and her battle with the strap in what Holly could only comprehend as unconcealed amusement.

"Are you alright, Ma'am?"

The brunette blushed red at the teasing tone in his words and turned away to stare at the flashing lights across from her instead. "Yes, thank you, Captain Rogers."

* * *

Long chapter for the long wait! I hope this chapter makes up for the hold-up. I've been trying to complete this chapter as fast as I can, but my brain just don't seem to wanna cooperate with me.

But anywhoos, THE CAPTAIN'S FINALLY BACK IN THE STORY AGAIN! Really excited to start on the next one now. I'll try to rush it out by the end of Sunday, but no promises! I've been busy the whole of this week (including my weekends), trying to rush out this important project that holds a high of my overall grade. So, I do hope you guys can just wait for me a little longer)

I just wanna sob in happiness whenever I read the reviews. I really do. **4002 **hits, **54 **favs, **112 **subscribers and **47** reviews for a four-chapter story so far. Ugh, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU  
Much kisses to **K, Talee, LongLive218, garnet86, randi101, Marinebrat0311, Little Weasley Girl, aaronitexkryptonite, Kittyjs123, poisedrose, Laleanen **and **nosignofslowingdown**

I live and breathe reviews! Feel free to tell me anything about this story Silent readers too! Would really love to get some of your comments)

Till then.


	6. The Helicarrier

******Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Six: The Helicarrier_

* * *

When Steve had met Holly in Central Park two weeks ago, he never would have thought he would see her again. He had decided she belonged to the category of people whom he would only ever encounter once, but who left a deep, lasting impression on him. He certainly hadn't expected to bump into her again on a jet plane heading to save the world from a power-hungry deity with a cosmic cube.

His blue eyes wandered over to her slight figure when he heard a small scuffle from beside him. A shot of amusement rushed through him as he saw how tightly she was clutching the safety belts she had been struggling with and how obviously nervous her unwavering stare was, on the wall opposite her.

His mouth opened to provide some verbal encouragement and reassurance, only to close them again wordlessly when her eyes slipped close as she started a quiet breathing exercise to help regulate her anxiety. Not wanting to raise her paranoia any more than she needed them, Steve turned back towards the black electronic screen in his lap refocused his attention upon the neat black prints.

Coulson had passed him the smart tablet to give him the basic background on each person in the team, and he had spent the past few minutes browsing through him or her. When he had first gotten to Tony Stark, or Iron Man's profile, Steve had actually thought the picture attached was one of Howard Stark, the scientist friend who had helped create the Super Soldier serum machine and his trusty shield. It was only when he glanced at the name heading the screen when he realized the man in the picture was actually Howard's son and his friend had passed away long ago.

'_Howard's done well for himself,'_ he thought as he scanned through the list of achievements and creations he had produced with his empire. It still stunned him to know that technology was so advanced in this age that his son could create a suit of iron that allowed him the ability of flight, defense and protection all in one armour.

Steve was about to move onto the next recruitment when a short but surprised exclamation caught his attention. Curious, he looked up from the new profile and turned to his side, only this time, he was greeted by a pair of large, scrutinizing eyes. It was like a throwback two weeks ago in Central Park, when he had been broken out of his self-lamenting stupor by the same green eyes blinking up at him. He watched as her teeth gnawed on her bottom lip in concentration as she studied him, wide eyes roaming the sharp planes of his handsome features curiously.

Steve cleared his throat a little to diffuse the awkwardness that was rising rapidly in him and reclined from her just that slightly. Holly's unwavering stare was unnerving and it was making him nervous and fidgety. It was as though she was trying to figure him out; trying to dig into his deepest fears and his most yearning wishes with a simple look of her eyes.

Steve's finger fiddled with the corner of the file and mustered a small, weak smile. "Is there something wrong?"

He watched as she snapped out of her trance and focused upon the blue eyes that were boring into her with slight apprehension. Holly leaned back into her seat, her face flushed at being caught for staring and snuck a glance at her uncle, who had taken over the control panel behind the pilots and had quite plainly ignored her as he worked.

"No, no. I was just wondering." She replied, tucking a strand of her hair behind her left ear in embarrassment. There was a short bout of silence before she turned back to him again, her eyes inquisitive. "Are you _really_ Captain America?"

"I'm sorry?" Steve's pulled his brows low over his eyes in bafflement at her strange question. _'What kind of question is that, really?'_

"I mean, I thought Captain America was created during World War II. What - so how are you still alive and so… _young_? If you were the real Captain, you'd have been all old and wrinkly by now." Holly reasoned. "Are you Captain America part two or something? Or perhaps a clone? I wouldn't put it pass S.H.I.E.L.D if they've managed to spawn a clone of the original Captain."

Steve blinked at the sudden onslaught of words directed at him during what he thought would be a quiet ride and tried to come up with an answer swiftly. Holly seemed to have a knack for leaving him speechless and even more confused than he already was.

"I uh, have no idea what a clone is but I can assure you, Ma'am, that I am not one." Steve said. "I was preserved in ice for the past 70 years after my plane crashed into the glaciers."

He watched as her eyes widened in fascination and her pink lips quirked up in a small smile. "Wow, that's pretty awesome."

"Awesome?"

Her smile widened further, pulling at her full cheeks and showing off her teeth. Steve can't help but think that they reminded him of a bunny's. "Awesome's an American lingo. It usually means great or fantastic or amazing. You've got a lot more to catch up on, Mr. Rogers."

Steve could have scoffed aloud if he wasn't trying to be polite. The idea of sleeping more than half a century away and waking up to find a whole, entirely different world from one he was raised in wasn't something to be impressed over. It was a pain, a nagging itch he can't ever be rid of.

"Though, I suppose it must suck quite badly." She continued, noticing his silence and how his worry lines seemed to tighten on his smooth forehead. They looked foreign on his handsome, boyish features as Holly felt a burning flush creep up her neck at having thought him to be attractive.

"I'm sorry? Suck?" Steve asked, bewildered at the way the word was incorporated into her sentence.

"Suck generally means bad or not good in this age." Holly explained, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Am I making you uncomfortable with all these lingo? I can stop if I am, I don't want to make you anymore of a fish out of the water than you already are. Though in your case, it would be a hero out of the ice."

Steve chuckled weakly, having had no idea what half of the things she had just spewed out meant. So, he merely shook his head out of courtesy and looked back down at the device in his hands. "No, it's fine."

The silence, apart from the humming of the plane's engine, shrouded them again as Steve went back to reading the file on a Dr. Bruce Banner, while Holly settled for watching Coulson work quietly and occasionally stealing glances at the man beside her.

"We're about 40 minutes to home base, sir." One of the pilots announced, breaking the peace in the jet.

Coulson nodded in acknowledgement and mumbled something into the microphone attached to the headphones he had been wearing before taking them off and resting them on the console in front of him. He then turned towards the two quiet figures sitting behind him and smiled at Steve, having noticed how Holly was just staring out into space.

"Any questions?"

Steve looked up from the video playing on the tablet with a small and curt nod. "So this Dr. Banner was trying to replicate the serum that was used on me?"

"A lot of people were," Coulson replied, stealing a furtive glance at Holly who was now listening in on their conversation. The quick look did not go unnoticed by Steve who turned to appraise the young woman and noticed how her relaxed posture had stiffened as she clutched the safety belts in her hands tightly. "You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."

A loud and menacing roar burst forth from the green, hulking monster in the video as Steve watched how the Hulk tore up the jeep easily in his rage. "Didn't really go his way, did it?"

"Not so much," Coulson said. "When he's not that thing though, guy's like a Stephen Hawking."

"He's like a smart person." He added hastily when Steve sent him a confused glance at his reference.

"Dr. Banner... he'll be onboard with us?" Holly asked uneasily.

"Yes, he'll be helping us to locate the cosmic cube using its gamma signature with Tony Stark."

The look of unease only tightened on her face at her uncle's reply. "Isn't that a little, I don't know, unsafe? What's going to happen if he turns?"

"We've got a specially designed room to contain him on the occasion that the Hulk do appear." Coulson explained smoothly.

"A room? Don't you mean a cage?" Holly frowned, knowing that S.H.I.E.L.D would not get Banner to join their purpose unless they were extremely sure they could control the beast during dire situations.

An uncomfortable look passed over Coulson at her blunt honesty. "Don't worry. I don't see how anything onboard will be able to agitate him enough for it to happen."

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you. We've already got an other-worldly God wanting to enslave human kind with a glowing blue cube." Steve added with a short chuckle. "Who's to say the Hulk won't be triggered by an accidental poke of his pen?"

"Dr Banner will be working in his own lab under a stress free environment. He will be just fine." Coulson affirmed. A small smile spread across his stern features then as he straightened up and looked at the Captain in what Holly could only describe as sheer veneration. "I gotta say; it's an honor to meet you, officially."

Steve responded the agent's awestruck words with a smile while Holly had to fight to stifle the bubble of laughter from escaping her lips at the sight of her normally austere uncle looking so star-struck at the Captain.

"I sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping." Coulson continued and blushed as much as a government agent could when Holly burst out laughing at his honest but borderline creepy admission. He sent the amused young woman a quick glare before turning back to Steve who looked as though he did not know what to say to his sudden declaration. "I mean I was... I was present while you were unconscious from the ice."

Steve looked amused as he placed the laptop to his side and stood up to work his numbing legs. He moved behind the pilot with strong, steady steps and took a glance out the windows.

Coulson followed him and copied his stance beside him. "You know, it's really, it's just a... just a huge honor to have you on board. It's…" he ended lamely with a nod and hung his head in embarrassment.

"Well, I hope I'm the man for the job."

"Oh, you are. _Absolutely_." Coulson's head snapped up at Steve's words and nodded frantically. "Uh, we've made some modifications to the uniform. I had a little design input."

"The uniform? Aren't the stars and stripes a little... old fashioned?"

Coulson shrugged with a wry smile. "With everything that's happening, the things that are about to come to light, people might just _need_ a little old fashioned."

Steve nodded just as one of the pilots turned towards them. "Sir, you have an incoming call from Agent Romanoff."

"Excuse me, Captain." Coulson said as he walked back to the console and put on the headphones once again.

Steve walked back to his seat once more, deciding continue with his reading on the laptop when he realized the screen had gone black and was not responding in any way whatsoever to his tapping, swiping or knocking on the glass. A rough sigh escaped his lips. He really hated technology.

"You gotta press the red button at the top to pull it out of its sleeping mode." A slim finger came into his view as it pushed down on the small red button at the top of the device. Almost immediately, the tablet lit up again, displaying the page Steve was last on, clearly. He definitely needed to remember that. "Don't worry, I'm not a big fan of all these high-tech gadgets too. Basic things like phones, laptops and microwaves I can deal with. But all these government toys are a rather big pain in the butt."

"Thanks, ma'am."

"You can call me Holly, you know?" She chuckled. "Not that I hate the fact that you've got good manners, Captain. Because it's definitely refreshing to see a man like you regarding women in such respect."

Steve turned to her curiously. "Do men in this age not treat women honorably?"

She hummed thoughtfully. "I wouldn't exactly say that. It's just… society's much different from how it used to be during your era. Good and _genuine_ manners are hard to come by now." Holly explained, tucking her hair behind her ear. This time, Steve noted, she had traded in her owl earrings for a pair of simple blue stones. "It must be a total shock for you, huh? To wake up to a completely different world with everyone you know gone."

He nodded his head as a solemn sigh escaped his lips. "It's daunting, without a doubt. Last time I checked the world was still at war. When I woke up, we were living in peace until Loki came." He said, alluding to the fates of his lost friends and lover. "How were you chosen to be in this mission, if I may ask? You don't seem the sort to be in the military."

"Oh no, I don't think I'd survive working in the armed forces." Holly's eyes flickered to her uncle's figure before looking back at him. "I was personally scouted through Phil, I suppose. It's either that or I must've been a pretty amazing nurse for them to approach me with such a _wonderful _offer."

"Scared?"

"You don't even know." Holly admitted quietly. "I sincerely hope this whole fiasco will blow over before anything even more disastrous can happen."

"We can only hope it will. War will only cause unnecessary loss and destruction."

"Oh! How did you find the gift anyway?" She asked, looking at him with bright eyes. "Did you like it?"

"The flower?" Steve asked, remembering the little glass flower he had kept, tucked away with his journal. He nodded unsurely and mustered a small smile. "It's… _pretty._"

When he had first opened the paper bag upon reaching his private apartment, Steve was confused as to why she had given him a little glass flower as a gift. He had contemplated throwing it away, seeing as he had no practical use for it and the flower looked out of place in his sparsely decorated room. Instead, he chose to tuck it away into his weathered leather journal where his paraphernalia from his own time were kept, along with a tattered picture of Peggy. It wouldn't hurt to have new keepsakes for a new start to his life.

"Of course it is! I picked it out!" Holly replied cheerily. "I meant to give it to my niece for her 6th birthday y'know, but I thought you needed a little cheering up more." She rambled on. "It's a snowdrop. I didn't just buy it because it was exquisite. I bought it because it was my favourite flower and it held a wonderful symbolism."

Steve looked at her curiously. "Oh? And what does it symbolize?"

"Hope and consolation." She said, with a glittering look in her eyes. "They're one of the first flowers to bloom after winter. I know they're not the prettiest flowers but they are the ones with a wonderful meaning, don't you think?" Without waiting for an answer, she prattled on, clearly excited to touch on her favourite subject. "They were also one of the small but important plotline in one of my favorite books. It's called _Stardust_, written by Neil Gaiman. He's one of the most brilliant author in modern literature. I could lend it to you if you'd like. I brought it along. Wait, what kind of books do you read? Or do you even read at all?"

Unlike the first time they met where Steve had found her never-ending talking to be annoying and grating on his nerves, Holly's ramble had somehow sounded soothing and calming to him as he listened to the words her silvery, soft voice expressed.

Holly blushed when she noticed how Steve was just staring at her after her endless spewing of words. "I'm sorry. I know I talk a lot. I tend to do that. Lose my train of thoughts and babble on like a broken radio. It only happens when I'm having a major freak out or when I'm talking about my favourite things. I just go on and on and on it can get very annoying. At least, that's what Phil told me."

"No, no. It's _refreshing_." Steve said, the smile widening on his face at the rapidly reddening blush on Holly's fair rounded cheeks. "I do read, by the way. Quite a bit, if I do say so myself. I know it's hard to believe…"

The two then spent their time talking about books they've read and other things in between (courtesy of Holly's habit of going off-point) as the jet carried them closer to the helicarrier; giving themselves a short but needed respite from the pressure of the current crisis.

* * *

"_This _is the helicarrier?" Holly muttered, looking around at the vastness of the floating carrier they had arrived on with wide disbelieving eyes. "You consider _this _a ship? It's practically a small island!"

The helicarrier was a vast mechanism that was built to the dimension of a moderately sized airstrip. A large yellow S.H.I.E.L.D icon was painted boldly over the grey-tarred runway where numerous jets were beginning to land and take off simultaneously, thanks to the guidance of the ground controllers, while a smaller airstrip branched off to the side from its main counterpart. The carrier had at least eight stationary fighter jet planes and three larger passenger planes, not including the one they had just exited from.

"It's one of our smaller models." Coulson professed as he gestured for the awestruck pair to follow after him. "We did not need that much manpower and planes for this mission, thus there was no need to deploy the bigger liners."

Holly let out a small, astounded breath before taking after the two men, taking care to not bump into the various people running about the place. "S.H.I.E.L.D's budget really knows no boundary."

The three were then greeted by a stunning redheaded woman who strutted up to them confidently in her fitted leather jacket, tight pants and sturdy black boots. Holly eyed the gun strapped to her thigh apprehensively and looked back up to meet her mildly curious gaze.

"Agent Romanoff," Coulson greeted evenly and nodded towards Steve and Holly. "This is Captain Rogers and Holly Fairchild,"

Steve nodded at her, "Ma'am."

"Hello," Holly said with a small wave of her hand.

"Hi." Romanoff returned in a sultry, husky voice and turned back to Coulson. "They need you on the bridge. They're starting the first trace. Bring Miss Fairchild along with you. Director Fury would like to… _brief _her before she gets acquainted with the medical team."

"See you later," Coulson said to both Romanoff and Steve while Holly sent the two a small smile before following after her uncle.

"She's scary." She admitted once they were out of earshot.

Coulson chuckled at the young woman and clapped a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he led her through a pair of large automated glass doors and down a dimly lit tunnel. "She's nice when you get to know her better."

"That's what everyone else says," Holly remarked as they quickly walked through another glass door and into what looked to be the main control room of the entire ship. "But that's not always the case, is it? If it were, we wouldn't have problems arising from people trying to rob, kill or take over the world like that crazy donkey Loki. And I wouldn't have to leave my poor cat behind because _Director Fury_ decided I was going to be useful to his cau-"

"Miss Fairchild," A loud voice boomed from the pedestal that overlooked the panels of computers and control consoles that had various suited agents working behind them diligently. Holly blinked up at the man in surprise gaped at having been caught complaining about him.

'_Was there a need for theatrics, though?'_ she thought, eyeing his outfit with unconcealed amusement. His eye-patch, black trench coat and black suit seemed to be assembled to impart intimidation on others, but to Holly, she just thought he looked like a smarmy old geezer.

"Thank you for joining us and assisting us in any way you can." Nick Fury addressed mildly, stretching a tanned, muscled arm towards the indignant young woman.

Holly eyed his hand with distaste and managed to return his greeting with a small shake before pulling away immediately. "Yeah, thanks for giving me a choice."

"I hope you understand our reasons for calling you in, Miss." Fury replied, nonplussed by the resentment in her voice. "I'm sure Agent Coulson has explained to you what has happened and the crucial part you're going to play in dire situations?"

"I'm seriously _praying_ that all I have to do is plaster a few cuts and issue some motion-sickness tablets." The brunette said. "I also hope you understand just how willing I am to be onboard your ship, Mr. Fury."

"Trust me, I can smell your willingness to save the world from a mile away." Fury rebutted smoothly, ignoring the smile Coulson had tried to force down at Holly's snarky attitude while he went off to check up on how one of the agents were doing.

"Your main priority aboard this _aircraft, _Miss Fairchild, would be to tend to the team's basic state of health and well-being. You would be required to record the health statistics of each person everyday while we're here and to report it to Dr. Conway each morning." He briefed and passed Holly the list of statistics that were to be recorded. "You are also needed to help tend to any minor injuries sustained by the team, which I'm sure you'll be able to handle fairly well, am I right?"

"Of course," Holly retorted. "Don't worry, Director. Your precious team will be in great hands."

"That'll be all for now. You may get yourself settled in and familiar with where the medical bay is. Dr. Conway will be expecting you." Fury said before motioning to an agent who had been watching over the personnel working behind the computers. "Johnson! Kindly escort Miss Fairchild to her room and the medical wards."

"I'll see you later, Phil." Holly called out, receiving a curt nod and a small quirk of his lips in response.

"I do hope you'll enjoy your stay aboard the helicarrier, Miss Fairchild." Fury added lightly before the dark haired agent led her out of the control room.

Holly let out a ragged sigh and forced a smile upon her delicate features. Weariness tugged at her consciousness. All she wanted to do right now was to take a nice, long nap with her beloved kitten snuggled up beside her. Instead, all she got was a trip on a gargantuan metal carrier that was now starting to rise up into the air as a stranger escorted her to her temporary stay.

"I doubt so, Director."

* * *

I really don't like how this chapter turned out :/

It's 3:04 am where I'm at and I'm exhausted, mentally and physically. Spent my entire weekend rushing out an assignment that had been given some rather harsh critics on. Throughly disappointed in myself right now. What am I even doing with my life? LOL.

Anyways, rushed this out because I was already halfway done and wanted you guys to have something for the long wait, but somehow, this chapter turned out all weird and blah and all over the place. I also received a review by one of my kind readers who warned me that Holly was nearing the dreaded Mary-Sue territory. I hope I redeemed her character in this chapter and I sincerely apologize, my dear dear readers. I promise to buck up and make better life choices in the future hahahaha

Much, much love to: **Little Weasley Girl, EvilPurpleCookiePenkeyMongui n, Talee, garnet86, K, BTownGirl, TheOodhugger, Jen Lennon, LoveLive218, CaribbeanTrinidadian, Jessie Rose 911, AngelVamp6688, FleurSuoh, artistical, Vaneria Potter, pointyearsrule **and **TiraLu **for their lovely reviews 3

Lots of love, thekindlyones.


	7. Scientist and the Captain

******Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Seven: Scientist and the Captain_

* * *

Holly lingered outside the laboratory quietly as she peered in at the lone man, watching him move around the room in ease. A shaky, nervous breath escaped her pursed lips. To the agents who were passing by that particular part of the aircraft, she may appear to look slightly suspicious and shady as she loitered along the corridor, mumbling to herself and sighing every now and then. They left her alone for the most part, but not without sending her similar looks of amusement and wariness.

She was sent to take down the vital recordings of the team after a quick meeting with the helicarrier's main attending doctor, Dr. Conway, who gave her a small satchel containing the medical equipment she needed for her rounds and an extensively packed suturing kit. He had also passed her the suit every other agent onboard the helicarrier were clad in, which now lay discarded on her bed. She was not going to be caught dead in that ghastly piece of clothing, no matter what kind of protection it offers.

For the past fifteen minutes, Holly had been pacing outside the heavily equipped laboratory where Dr. Bruce Banner was currently working to locate the Tesseract. Phil had directed her to the lab, and had offered to accompany her, knowing that she was nervous about meeting Banner, but was called away by Fury at the very last moment to check on the conditions of the helicarrier's engines. On her way to the laboratory, she had already worked up the courage and gathered her nerves to meet the scientist. However, once her eyes were cast upon the figure moving around sluggishly, checking the various computers littered around the room, the nerves and anxiety were back with a vengeance.

It was irrational, she knew, to be so afraid of someone she had never personally come into contact with. But it is a fact that we all fear the unknown, however much we want to convince ourselves otherwise. After the whole showdown between the Hulk and the mutated beast Abomination down in Harlem, Holly couldn't help but feel wary of the seemingly docile man and his ability to tear up the whole town.

Literally.

She let out a sharp exhale and pulled up her balled up fist, rapping her knuckles hard against the sturdy glass doors before she could have a chance to pull away. Holly watched as Banner looked up from one of the smart tablet he was working on and met her eyes with a small frown. Her grip tightened on her satchel as Banner strode towards the glass door and punched in the access code, all the while fixating his dark brown eyes on the young woman.

"Dr. Banner? Uhm… Hi, I'm Holly Fairchild." The scientist looked at her warily, but stepped aside to let her in. "Am I disturbing you?"

Banner shook his head.

"You've been waiting outside for a long time, huh?" He mused, obviously having caught how the young woman had been loitering outside his lab for the past few minutes.

"Long? Oh no, not long." Holly replied hastily, shaking her head and flushing red. Her tongue felt thick and heavy in her mouth as she fought to get her words out without sounding like she just swallowed a bowl of marbles. "Not long at all. I just got here after getting a tour of the aircraft. This place is huge. Easy to get lost in."

Banner's bushy brows rose at her stumbling reply and peered up at Holly from behind wiry glasses. "Is there something you need, Miss?"

"Oh uh, I'm here to take your vitals." She replied quickly. "I'm the team's uh, attending nurse, and I'm tasked to do that every morning so the medical lab can keep track of your state of health."

Banner let out a short chuckle and moved over to one of the beeping machines. "What, are they afraid I'm going to transform any time? They shouldn't have dragged me into this quandary if they're so terrified of me killing everyone onboard." He grumbled, the frown deepening on his forehead.

Holly's eyes widened in response as she took a step back away from the scientist and closer to the entrance. She looked back and took a mental image of the number of steps she needed to take to escape before he transforms and worried her bottom lip.

'_Close enough,'_ She thought. _'I'll run straight for the main control room and aler – '_

"I'm not going to turn, you know? You can relax."

She snapped back at the soft, amused voice breaking her thoughts and chuckled nervously as she stammered out a reply. "Uh, no, sir, you're mistaken. I was just – there was someone… I mean I _thought _there was someone standing at the door."

"Yeah? Is that why you look like you're sharing a room with an activated grenade waiting to go off?" Banner retorted, a knowing glint in his dark eyes, and pushed his glasses further up his nose. "Don't worry, I'm not about to turn just like that. I maybe volatile but I've got _some_ control in me at least." He paused and looked back up at her. "Why did they send you then, if you're so afraid of me?"

Holly sagged against the edge of one of the table and sighed. "Because I'm appointed by Director Fury to see to you guys."

"You guys?"

"You and Captain Rogers mainly," She explained, studying the scientist's stance carefully before deeming him calm enough to approach. Holly took her bag and moved closer towards Banner and set her satchel down on a work table that was not covered by files, papers and flashing laptops. "Fury wants to make sure you two are in the best shape during this entire mission."

"I'd be in better shape if I were not onboard this monstrous, confining flier." Banner admitted, walking towards the young woman while rolling his shirt sleeves up to his elbows. "I don't even want to be here,"

"Yeah well, join the club." Holly murmured as she took out the equipment from her satchel.

Banner looked at her in surprise, having caught her muttering. "You were dragged here against your will too?"

The young woman nodded her head. She switched on the thermometer, put in a new sleeve and instructed the doctor to open his mouth wide before tucking the tip of the equipment under his tongue. "I had to leave my cat, Tobie, in a clinic. A pet clinic!" She said, looking positively affronted by the circumstance. "He's still a young one, I do hope he won't forget me by the time I bring him home again."

Banner was saved from replying her, for he did not know what to say or how to respond without insulting the young woman, by the sharp beeping of the thermometer. Holly took the device out and read the black prints of the small LCD screen.

"Hmm. 98°F. Relatively normal." Holly said and noted down the numbers in a little notepad. Her hands then fumbled with what looked to be the sphygmomanometer and cursed herself for not checking with Dr. Conway on the type of equipment they used.

She let out a small noise of frustration, muttering quiet curses under her breath when a chuckle greeted her ears.

"I'll do it," Banner took the equipment from her and showed her how to loosened it by flicking a small metal latch at the side. "This is one of the most accurate sphygmomanometer in the world. But because it's so complicated, most hospitals just stuck to using the regular ones."

"I like the regular ones. Regular ones are safe." Holly commented, watching attentively as the man before her activated the device and numbers began appearing on the screen. "But S.H.I.E.L.D's obviously not one to go for regular _or_ normal_._"

"I'd say."

While the sphygmomanometer was doing its job, Holly then proceeded to take Banner's pulse and respiration rate. A few minutes later, Holly was jotting down Banner's respiration rate, blood pressure and pulse rate into her little notebook while he took the sphygmomanometer from his arm.

"Your respiration rate's normal. However, both your blood pressure and pulse rate are slightly higher than normal." Holly frowned in concern and looked up at him. "Do you feel alright, Mr. Banner? Any nausea, lightheadedness or double visions?"

"No, I'm fine." He said, tucking the device into the satchel. "The higher numbers are probably due to the other guy,"

"Ah, alright then." Holly nodded, slipping the notebook into her bag before slinging it over her shoulder, as she got ready to look for Steve. "Please do tell me if you feel the slightest discomfort, Sir. Even if it's just for a motion sickness pill or an aspirin; feel free to bug me as much as you want."

"I'll keep that in mind," Banner said, giving the young woman a small smile. He followed her to the door and quickly punched in the access code as the glass entrance slid open with a hiss. Before Holly could take a step out of the laboratory, however, Banner spoke up once more.

"Hey, uh. Miss Fairchild?"

Holly looked up at the man inquisitively. "Is there something else you need, Mr. Banner?"

"I was wondering if you know where the cafeteria or pantry is?"

"It's located on the second floor." She answered, eyeing his nervous stance and the sudden wringing of his hands curiously. "Are you hungry?"

"Well, yes." Said Banner, looking slightly abashed. "Being pulled out of your home and brought onto an aircraft without food tends to do that to you."

Holly smiled gently at him, finally realizing why he was fidgeting so much. "I can bring some dinner to you, if you'll like."

"You would?" Banner asked, his dark brown eyes lighting up in surprise and silent gratitude when the young woman nodded positive. His fidgeting stopped at the thought that he did not have to come in contact with the others onboard the helicarrier for food.

"Sure." She shrugged. "I'll have to make a trip to see Captain Rogers first though. It'll take about twenty minutes, tops, _if_ I can find him in the control hall." Holly quirked a brow at him in silent challenge. "You think you can wait that long for your food? Because Lord knows even normal men hulk out when they don't get their stomachs filled within five minutes."

There was a beat as the two registered the words that fell forth from Holly's lips. The young woman looked positively mortified at her thoughtless joke as her chuckles faded away with realization while Banner's mouth slipped open in mild surprise.

"That's very true," Banner said, breaking the tensed silence. A series of husky laughter fell from his lips, filling the silent lab with his mirth.

"Oh my god." Holly flinched. "I'm _so _sorry! That was absolutely horrible. I just tend to speak before I think! All the time! God, I'm so sorry."

"It's fine." The scientist said, his lips still stretched in a smile that revealed the fine lines around his eyes. "It's definitely nicer to see you joking about the other guy as compared to when you couldn't even approach _me_ without wanting to flee."

Holly flinched again.

"It's fine, _really_. I'm not going to hulk out and throw you halfway across the globe just because you poked fun at the other guy." Banner placated, patting the young woman on her shoulders before walking back to one of the flashing screens. He tapped the transparent glass a few times and turned towards Holly with a teasing smile. "Though if you really feel that bad, you can make it up to me by bringing in my meals everyday."

"Right." Holly let out a short chuckle, though she was still flushing bright red at her own embarrassing antics, and raised her sculpted brows at the grinning scientist. "You wish. I'll see you later, Doctor."

With a roll of her eyes, she exited the laboratory and made her way towards the main control hall where she hoped Steve would be. A tinge of sympathy shot through her as she thought about how someone as amicable as Banner could be plagued with something so destructive and unstable.

* * *

Steve Rogers wiped the sweat off of his forehead as he replaced his torn punching bag. With renewed vigor, he punched the packed sand rapidly, throwing more and more of his force and frustration into each impact. Muscles strained and bones protested despite his enhanced state, but his intense work out were still not enough to chase away the demons that haunted him even while he was awake.

He thought that by coming along on this mission, he would be able to occupy himself with saving the world and fill his mind with things that do not and will not pertain to his past and the many 'what if?' scenarios. He needed to stay away from them – as far away as possible – because they were only going to make him wallow in desolation and self-pity, and they were two of the things that Steve most certainly did not want to be surrounded in.

However, upon coming onboard, Steve was thoroughly disappointed, as there was little for him to do but to wait until Banner and SHIELD's agents managed to pinpoint the locations of Loki and the Tesseract. It had come to him, at that point in time, that the only thing Steve was useful for onboard the Helicarrier was his peak human status. That was all.

Sure, Steve was a great strategist, as proven from when he guided soldiers into HYDRA's hidden camps and proceeded to successfully foil Johann Schmidt's heinous plans. But onboard the helicarrier, there was no need for strategies; Fury had made it clear to everyone what they were going to do from the first day.

Locate Loki and the cube. Halt Loki's plans for the cube. Capture Loki and the cube. Imprison Loki and keep the cube locked away until further notice.

Steve aimed a particularly hard punch at the bag and snarled, feeling the resentment well up in him once more, this time, ten times stronger than before. He desperately needed someone to convince him he wasn't useless. He needed someone to tell him that he was going to be okay despite his bizarre predicament. He needed someone to assure him that he was going to fit in and find a place for himself just fine in this time and age. He needed…

_He needed Peggy._

Steve paused in his venting and put a hand out to break the bag's wild swinging. Harsh breaths were forced out of his mouth due to his rigorous exercise and his sturdy body was coated in a light sheen of heated sweat.

Peggy was one of the few who believed in him. Other than his best friend Bucky, Dr. Erskine and Colonel Philips (sometimes, when he wasn't being a grouchy old man who was always calling Steve the 'scrawny Brooklyn kid'), the strong-willed and independent British officer was one of the select few people that truly had faith in him.

She had told him once before that he was _"meant for more than this" _in which 'this' meant parading around with a troupe of scantily clad dancers as he went about promoting war bonds. It was with her words and the reassurance that she had meant every one of it, that Steve had the confidence and motivation to infiltrate HYDRA's territory, alone, and brought about the release of the four hundred military comrades who were locked under Schmidt's imprisonment.

Peggy was the reason how Steve Rogers became the true Captain America. Sure, Dr Erskine and Howard Stark were the people credited with turning him from the sickly and frail boy into an enhanced soldier who was at the zenith of the top human potential. Peggy was the one who made Steve embrace his new self and use his new gifts to help the world instead of being presented on stage, saying a few choice words to the real soldiers who were fighting the war out there.

She changed him and Steve daresay he loved her. She brought him faith, confidence and things to look forward to in his life.

However, she was also the one who was causing him the most grief right now.

The super-soldier landed another hard punch at the bag as he threw himself into another round of work out to keep the thoughts of her and her pretty brown eyes out from his head. As long as he did not think about her, he was going to be all right. As long as the warm brown eyes and painted red smile did not flash across his mind, he was not going to feel despair and alone and lost.

And so, Steve threw himself into the training, putting all his energy and strength into straining his muscles and body. He was going to ache, badly, in the morning. But he didn't care.

Because the physical pain was so much easier to handle as compared to the nagging, gaping emptiness that Steve always felt in the night.

For the next ten minutes, he worked himself into the punching bag as the seams holding the compact sand threatened to break under the heavy blows it was receiving. Until, with a last hit, Steve sent the heavy training equipment flying from its hinge on the ceiling and landed halfway across the room, sending sand scattered on the dirtied linoleum floor.

"_T__hat_ stressed?"

* * *

Hi guys! It's me, again :)  
Hope you liked this one because I had fun typing it. The first part that is. The second part was slightly depressing.

Sorry about the desolateness and the self-pitying party I was holding back in Chapter 6. The stress of my assignment just got to me so much because it was one of my favourite majors and I really wanted to do well. Le sigh. Well then, what's done is done. Can't do much except to really buck up for the next project.

Anyways, **garnet86, Magical Faerie, Laleanen, pointyearsrule, LadySabertooth, AxMxzainyxfan, Hailey-Stone, popcorn, ****Jen Lennon, TheOodhugger, TiraLu, crusherccme, Little Weasley Girl, Agent-Baman159, WhatsGoingOn, Casey21791, AccioVoldemortsNose **& **FleurSuoh **and everyone else who alerted and favourited, can I just say how much I wanted to pull you guys up into a hug and smother each of you with love and kisses while rainbows and sunshine falls around us? Yeap, I'd love to do that. You guys cheered me up so much I felt so silly ranting about how horrible I felt last chapter. THE LOVE I RECEIVED I WILL RECIPROCATE WITH CHAPTERS. I hope they are enough for the kindness you bestowed upon your humble writer :)

Next chapter will be up soon, I promise! I've been on a roll so far after taking a short break from the internet and school and the story's coming along nicely (until the next brain fart, that is). It will definitely start to be Solly (?), Heve (?) centric from next chapter on, I promise.

See you guys (very) soon!

xo, thekindlyones


	8. Vitals

******Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Eight: Vitals_

* * *

Steve pulled his glare from the abused punching bag and towards where the words sounded. His clear ocean eyes met wide green ones as they blinked at him in surprise and slight trepidation.

He watched as Holly stepped over the torn bag gingerly and made her way closer towards him while her eyes studied the room they were in, her gaze roaming from wall to wall, pillar to pillar and from the large boxing ring in the middle back to him.

"Good evening, Captain."

"Evening, ma'am." Steve replied. He started unraveling the elastic tape wrapped around his hands and alternated between watching his actions and looking at the young brunette. He coughed at her unwavering study and looked away, choosing instead to stare at his own hands for the next few minutes. "Are you going to use the training room, ma'am?"

"Holly."

"Steve." He immediately replied.

"Alright, Steve. Though I rather _enjoy_ calling you Captain." Holly mused as she set her satchel down by her feet. Steve blushed at her words and tried to hide it by covering his sweat soaked hair with the dry towel. "And no, I'm not about to abuse any of the equipments here. I dropped by to take your vitals."

"How did you know where I was?"

"I didn't," She said, taking a seat on the edge of the boxing ring in the massive room. "Phil told me. Okay, actually, an agent monitoring the aircraft told Phil and he related the information to me. Seems like Fury's got the entire place under his eye." She giggled. "Get it? Under his _eye_? Note that I didn't say eyes, because he's only got one good one."

"So anyway, here I am." She continued, ignoring the fact that Steve did not laugh nor give any inclination that he had found her pun funny and pulled her satchel into her lap. "But seeing how _intense_," at this, she looked towards the beat up punching bag, "your work out has been, I think it'll be best for you to take a rest first before I take your recordings. At least until your heart rate's slowed down enough to not feel like a freight train."

Steve nodded in agreement and took a seat a few spaces away from Holly as he tucked the elastic wraps into his bag. A silence hung over them as they each tried to come up with things to diffuse the smothering quietness. Steve settled for drying his sweat soaked skin up with a towel while Holly looked around the room quietly, though her eyes strayed to him every once in awhile.

"Well then." Holly piped up, obviously unable to withstand the awkward silence in the room. "That was sufficiently stifling."

She angled her body towards Steve slightly and smiled. "How about you tell me all about yourself? I want to know more about the superhero _my_ personal superhero is always raving about and is so clearly a fanboy of."

Steve frowned in confusion. "Fanboy?"

"Fanboys or fangirls are people who idolizes others and constantly raves about it or collects various souvenirs of them." She chuckled at the look on his face and continued. "Like how Uncle Phil admires you as a hero and has the odd hobby of collecting your trading cards; we will then refer to him as a fanboy of you, Captain America."

"Oh. Right, okay…" Steve stammered, wondering how to go about telling her _all _about him. Where was he supposed to start? Why did she even want to know about him, anyway? It couldn't be that she was interested in him. Because nobody was ever interested in Steve Rogers. "I'm Steve Rogers, obviously. I'm… well, I was… Um – where should I start?"

"How about from the beginning? Before you were Captain America." Holly suggested. "You were from Brooklyn, right? At least, that's what I heard from Phil."

Steve nodded. "Brooklyn born and bred. Went to an average middle school, an average high school before going into an art school."

"You draw?"

"Some." He said. "I doodle, mostly. Nothing serious. I was only in school for about a year before I dropped out to be in the military. I tried to enlist into the army, but they rejected me. Four times."

He bent and took his worn journal out from his bag. It was a leather cover bounded notebook that although torn in some corners and had some loose pages, still held itself together rather securely with the help of the loosening elastic band. A used, and fairly sharpened pencil was held at the spine of the journal, while the glass flower Holly had given him peeked out from the top of the yellowing pages. The snowdrop looked even lovelier as compared to the backdrop of the old journal and Holly couldn't help but feel slightly regretful about giving the trinket to him.

However, when she saw how gingerly the man handled the delicate flower, the regret faded away to be replaced by a small fondness for Steve and his sensitive actions despite his manly stature. She watched as he pulled one out of the two pictures in the journal out from one of the pockets and showed it to Holly.

"This was me." He said and smiled when the young woman's jaw fell open in amazement.

"You're joking." She muttered, looking between the picture and the real him.

Steve shook his head. "This was before I took the super-soldier serum. As you can see, it was easy to tell why the army rejected me."

"Wow. That's just… _weird_ and incredible." Holly remarked, her eyes still studying the thin, fragile image of Steve's past. "Mostly weird, though."

Steve chuckled at her amazement.

"Yeah, it took me some time to get used to the feeling of being able to reach the top of my closet without the help of a stool," He joked, taking the picture and slotting it back into the pocket before moving to shut the journal.

"Wait," Holly halted his action by placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Who's that?"

She pointed to the other picture in the pocket and tried to peek around his muscular arm to see it more clearly, which irritated him a little. For a moment, he hesitated in pulling the photograph of Peggy out to fulfill her curiousity. Peggy was the one thing in Steve's life that he had kept to himself because it was important to him, and there was no need for anyone to know about anything that had happened between them. His thumb fidgeted with the edge of the picture, sliding the film out before pushing it back in again in a state of uncertainty.

Holly pulled herself back and mentally berated her nosiness. Shaking her head, she smiled at the unsure man. "It's okay, I was just being a busybody."

"No, no. It's – she's just someone who's very dear to me." Steve admitted, fidgeting with the yellowing frame of the hidden photograph. "And I just – I don't know, it seems rude to say it…"

"You just don't want to share this part of you with anyone else," Holly said with a small quirk of her pink lips. A mutual sense of understanding was apparent in her eyes. "I understand. Everyone's got things they want to keep private about. I mean, I do too. So, no worries, Cap. You aren't offending anyone by wanting to protect your own privacy."

"Thanks," Steve said after a short moment of hesitation.

"No problem." Holly shrugged and took a closer look at his overall state. The bright flush that had tinged his chiseled cheekbones moments before had all but faded away now, and his rate of breathing had slowed down noticeably. "Well, let's get started on the vitals, shall we? I promised Dr. Banner I'd bring his dinner to him after checking you out." She stopped abruptly and flushed as her last words slowly registered in her head. Hot blood crept up her slender neck and up her round cheeks as Holly cringed, hoping the good soldier wouldn't notice her slip of the tongue.

Steve merely nodded, much to her relieve, not seeming to find anything weird or offensive from her reply. "You're sending us meals now? Over the other medical duties you're supposed to carry out?"

"Ah, no. Not really," Holly answered, slipping the thermometer into a new sleeve before switching it on. "I offered to bring it up for him. Dr. Banner looked – _open your mouth, please, thank you_ – horribly nervous at the prospect of having to get his dinner from a public canteen, that poor man. I figured since I had nothing much to do…"

Steve mumbled out what sounded to be _'That's nice of you,'_ before he was silenced by a stern_ 'shush'_ from Holly, who pointed to the working thermometer.

"Sorry," He mumbled once more and flushed when the brunette sent him a scolding look.

Embarrassed, Steve pulled at the towel hanging over his neck only to find that the loose threads on the fabric had hooked onto the links on the chain of his dog tags. He tugged again, with more force this time and huffed in annoyance when he only managed to get the chain pulled roughly against his neck.

"Hey! Stop moving, you'll affect the reading," Holly immediately admonished upon noticing the erratic moments from the Captain when she looked up from her notebook. "What's wrong?"

Feebly, Steve pointed to the towel hanging from his dog tags and tugged it a little to signal to the young woman that it was stuck.

Holly chuckled at the annoyed and slightly sad look in his eyes and placed her notebook aside, before standing up and moving over to the side where the little problem was. She kneeled on the spot beside him and moved ever so closely to him. Her careful, nimble fingers picked up the towel and his chain before working on it, unhooking the threads from the chain, little by little.

Steve froze at her close proximity. His blue eyes had been watching her actions carefully the moment she had settled beside him and immediately averted his eyes to stare at the blank, cement wall opposite them when her face came close to his neck.

The sensation of Holly's silky fingertips brushing against the sensitive skin of his neck sent him into a tingling frenzy as he fought to keep the flush from blossoming across his cheeks. He could feel the heat rushing through his body at her intimate touches, and fidgeted uncomfortably in his place, not liking the feeling at all. Due to her closeness, every warm breath Holly exhaled could be felt on his heated skin, much to the chagrin of the bashful super-soldier.

It was when Steve snuck a glance at her again that he noticed something unusual about the young woman.

He could see something moving above her porcelain skin – like a sheen of light flashing over her being – but he did not know if it was a trick of the light or if it was due to his exhaustive training. It was a light and extremely quick glimmer of opalescent colours that would have gone unnoticed by Steve had he not been looking at her carefully. Frowning, he looked closer and was not disappointed when he caught another flicker of glittering hues.

Steve blinked. _'What in the world – '_

"There, all done!" Holly declared, breaking Steve's thoughts. She unhooked the last of the tangles and threw the towel down beside her, just as the thermometer let out a sharp beep. Smiling, she took a the thermometer from Steve's mouth and used the jacket's covering to dispose of it properly, not noticing the discomfiture of the man at all.

Holly frowned at the reading on the thermometer looked at the Captain in concern. It was at this moment that she noticed the slight redness on his cheeks and neck.

"100.2 °F. That's slightly higher than normal. Are you feeling okay, Steve? You look a little flushed." She placed the back of her hand against his forehead and frowned even further. "You're rather warm too."

"Um, no… I mean y-yes, I'm – I'm fine. I think it's the aftermath of the work out? Yeah. I'm fine. No fever or anything." He stammered and forced a small smile at the skeptical look in Holly's green eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Well alright then." Holly said, still eyeing him doubtfully as she wrapped the technologically advance sphygmomanometer around his sculpted arm like how Dr. Banner had showed her just now. "If you're feeling any discomfort, you have to tell me, okay? I don't want to know you're sick only when I find you collapsed on the floor, whining like a big baby." She stated sternly as the device did its job.

Steve looked deeply affronted by her words. A frown marred his smooth forehead. "I do _not_ whine like a big baby."

"Maybe you don't, but I won't know that until I see it for myself, right?" Holly bit back. "And if you do – whine like a big baby when you're sick, that is – I'm sure you won't want me or anyone else to know about it, or it'll ruin your strong, powerful image. So I'd suggest you come straight to me at the first sign of _anything_. Even a minor flu. Now hush, or your vitals are not going to be accurate."

She then took his left wrist in her right hand gently, placing her fore and middle fingers on his pulse point until she could feel the steady and clear rhythms of Steve's beating heart.

"It's very hard for me to get sick, though, thanks to the serum." Steve stated matter-of-factly but quietened down at the sharp glare Holly sent him.

It seemed as though Holly took her job seriously, however basic and simple it was.

Silence blanketed the two once more, with Holly focused on taking Steve's vital readings and Steve looking around the place awkwardly as he tried to keep his heartbeats steady.

"Your heartbeats are a little erratic," Holly commented lightly, glancing at the quiet man.

"It's the work out." His instant reply amused Holly who merely hummed in skeptical agreement before looking away to study what seemed to be the spot between his nose and his chin.

Steve squirmed at her new spot of interest. Holly's intense stare on his mouth was not helping his awkwardness at her close proximity. He may be a grown man, but he was definitely still a child when it came to matters concerning the opposite sex.

"Why are you staring at my mouth?"

"I'm sorry?" Holly pulled her eyes up to his and quirked a brow at his random question.

Steve blushed. Hard.

He wondered why he simply couldn't keep his mouth shut and get the whole thing over with. He needed help. Desperately. "It's – you're staring at my lips. Is there something wrong?"

"I was just trying to keep count of your respiration rate." Holly replied, amusement clear in her silvery voice. "Which, I have to start all over again since you messed up the cycle."

"Oh." Steve cleared his throat and looked away. If possible, his already red cheeks flushed further. "Right. Okay. I'm sorry. Carry on."

Holly eyed his nervous disposition and the restless twitch of his free hand as realization dawned on her. Before she could stop the bubble of laughter from making its way out into the quiet air, she was already chuckling heartily, her face flushed with mirth.

The super-soldier looked hurt at the laughter that was obviously directed at him. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, nothing." Holly shook her head and took her hands off of his wrist, taking note to put some distance between them. She then checked the sphygmomanometer strapped to his arm before detaching it and tucking it back into her satchel with the other equipment. "You're all done now. Everything seems… _fine_." At this, she hid a secret smile, which passed by Steve's attention for he had taken to staring down at his shoes.

"Thank you," He mumbled.

The smile on Holly's face stretched wider at his bashful personality as she slung her satchel over shoulders. "I'm off to the cafeteria for dinner now. Do you wanna come along?"

Steve shook his head and pulled at his sweat soaked shirt. "I think I'm going to take a shower first. Thanks for asking, Ma – I mean Holly."

"Alright then." The young woman said easily. "Don't overwork yourself with the training, Steve. If you're stressed, you should go read a book. Or eat. I don't know. Do whatever. Pushing your body too hard, however enhanced it is, will only do you more harm than good."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Holly flashed him a smile at his easy compliance and turned towards the door after giving Steve a quick wave goodbye. She was partway out of the entrance when she turned back again.

"By the way, Cap." Steve looked up at the sound of her teasing voice. "If me taking your vitals is… _bothering_ you, I can arrange for a male attendant to do it. Just give me the word and I'll switch it right away."

With another smile, she nodded her head at him and exited the room, leaving the superhero staring after her with a reddened face (which seem to be happening a lot to him that day) and wide, ocean eyes.

Steve let out a soft sigh and ran a hand through his messy blonde hair. Even though he was eternally embarrassed, he was still grateful for the short bout of respite where his thoughts did not circle around the brown eyed brunette. His earlier frustrations had melted away into confusion as he thought back about the quirky nurse and the odd flashes of colours he had seen before.

He was definitely going to keep a good eye out on that matter from now.

* * *

So? How was that for a Solly interaction? I had fun writing it haha

I do hope I didn't overdo Steve's shyness, though. It's like a small cute moment before the movie finally starts. I hope the plot's not moving too slowly for you guys too.

Marshmallows and rainbows and pot 'o' golds for these lovely people: **garnet86 **(_you _make _my_ day whenever I read your reviews!), **Hailey-Stone **(Hailey. Dear, dear, Hailey. Thanks for making me snort to myself during my class!), **pointyearsrule **(fixed it! Thanks for pointing it out, sweetie! I always make errors like that, sigh), **K **(MIB III, is your username inspired by Agent K then ;) Anyways, Solly it is for you!), **Laleanen **(I know! Bruce is just like a human puppy with special moments of rabidness), **Little Weasley Girl **(Heve does sound like barfing, does it not? This couple is doomed. Their couple names are really...:|), **Jen Lennon, XxLovelyLittleMeXx, Becky, WhatsGoingOn, Artistical, AoiKuroNekoSan, Fishy Rainboots, TheOodHugger **and **Magical Faerie!**

7 Chapters and 10,000 hits. I don't even know what to say to let y'all know how grateful I am of each and every one of you who's reading it.  
Silent readers! Do drop me a review! I'd love to know what you think of HftH :) I'm open to all comments if it helps the story in a positive way!

That's all for now (I really need to stop typing such long AN). I'm off to continue the next chapter.

xoxo, thekindlyones


	9. The Promise

**********Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Nine: Promise_

* * *

The first thing that caught Holly's ears once she stepped through the large glass doors and into the helicarrier's main control bridge was her uncle's familiar voice.

Upon hearing Coulson's mild but stern voice, she had expected him to be giving orders to the other agents in the room; to sound smart and commanding as he crossed his arms and stalked around with a serious glare on his face.

What she did not expect, though, was to hear him _gushing_ to the poor man about his namesake trading cards and seeking permission from him to sign them.

"It's a vintage set. It took me a couple of years to collect them all."

Holly chuckled under her breath and shook her head exasperatedly at her uncle's antics.

If there was anything the S.H.I.E.L.D agent was truly proud of (other than his talent for whistling the entire tune of _'Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head'_ pitch-perfectly), it was his ability to collect the mint and original conditions of Captain America's paraphernalia. From trading cards (which were his prized items) to comic books and even to bed sheets, you name it Coulson's got it.

Holly was sure that if there ever was a contest to find the biggest fan of Captain America, her uncle had a fair chance of winning it.

"They're mint," Coulson continued with pride. Holly walked up the steps to the platform they were on and laughed when she caught sight of Steve's disinterested look with his tightly folded arms, no matter how much he wanted to keep it down. "Slight foxing around the edges, but they're in near perfect condi –"

"Morning, Phil." Holly cut in, coming up to the two men with a mirthful grin. "Good morning, Captain Rogers."

"Morning, Ma'am," Steve immediately replied, as though relieved and thankful for her sudden appearance.

Coulson turned to the young woman and raised his eyebrows at the piece of accessory she was sporting on her head.

"What in the world are you wearing?"

"What's wrong with it?" Holly asked, offended by the incredulous and mocking tone in her uncle's words.

"You're wearing animal ears." Coulson deadpanned.

"They're cat ears," She added lightly. "To be specific."

Holly's hands came up to fidget with her black cat-ears headband self-consciously. Her satchel of equipment was slung over her shoulder as usual and like yesterday, she had ignored the SHIELD one-piece jumpsuit that still hung in her closet, and had chosen instead to put on a simple loose, white blouse and a pair of dark wash jeans.

Unlike other days where her now shoulder-length brown hair was normally left down and free, Holly had chosen to hold her fringe away from her face with the eccentric looking headband, much to her uncle's chagrin.

Coulson flicked the ears of her headband lightly. "Why are you wearing _these_?"

"Don't sound so offended." Holly muttered, slapping the agent's hand away. "You don't like Tobie, you won't understand."

"What has that cat got to do with this?"

The young woman huffed in annoyance. "_That_ cat. He's got a name_, _Uncle P! He's my family now and by default, an extension of _your _family too!"

Steve could only watch on in amusement and slight confusion over the two's good-natured bickering over what sounded to be a cat that Coulson obviously had not taken a liking to. It was easy to see how close Coulson and Holly were at the look of fondness in the agent's smiling eyes. Their interactions reminded him faintly of how he and his best friend, Bucky, use to be and he couldn't help when his smile faded at the thought of him.

"Well then, if anyone were to ask if you and I are related," Coulson said with a teasing smile. "Please tell them we're not. At least, we're not when you've got that appalling thing on."

"One more word from you, Phil." Holly threatened. "One more word and I'll set Tobie on your Captain America collectibles once this mission is over. I hear cats are prone to scratching _many _things at his age."

Coulson looked horrified at her threat as his blue eyes widened. It was rather amusing to see the normally stoic man looking like this after a small threat made towards his souvenirs. "_You_ _wouldn't_."

At this, Steve chuckled aloud. Even Agent Hill and Fury, who were nearby, had to hide their smiles from breaking out onto their austere faces at their fellow colleague's anxious expression.

The young woman narrowed her eyes at him and smiled. "Try me."

She then turned towards Steve with a smile and nodded towards the huge table while Coulson took this chance to excuse himself to help out the agent tracking locations of the Tesseract.

"Come on, Cap, time for your vitals again." She paused and looked up at him worriedly. "Unless you'd like for me to switch to someone else, if me taking them is bothering you? My offer from yesterday still stands."

"Uh, no. It's fine… you're fine." He muttered, shaking his head bashfully. Holly watched in surprise at the faint blush that blossomed across his cheekbones. "I have to uhm, apologize, for my weird behaviour yesterday. It's – I just… I have… I've been told I'm awful at interacting with women. And yesterday, you were just too close to me that I panicked."

He let out a soft sigh and ruffled the back of his hair in frustration. "I don't mean to offend you, if I did, somehow."

"Well…" Holly pursed her lips thoughtfully, avoiding the Captain's sincere eyes as she took the various equipments out of her bag. "You did act as though you couldn't wait to get away from me. I thought I smelled of something horrible,"

"Oh god, no." disagreed Steve immediately. "No, y–you smelled nice, Ma'am. Wonderful,"

Holly looked up from fixing the thermometer for him and quirked an eyebrow in amusement at his words. "You've smelled me before?"

"What? I smelled… Oh god." Steve closed his eyes in frustration and covered his face with his hands in embarrassment. "I'm just going to stop talking now."

Holly laughed softly, shaking her head at such an uncommon display of bashfulness from a grown man. Truthfully, it was strange for her to see the famed hero as an awkward, stuttering man when it came to women. She had always had this idea that Captain America was a strong, eloquent and confident man.

But she figured though his physical appearance had been enhanced by the serum, his personality still remained like that of his older self – the skinnier, weaker one who was constantly bullied by others.

"I was just teasing you, Steve." Holly admitted, pulling his hands from his face gently. She took care to put some space between them after placing the thermometer under his tongue and smiled at the blush on his face. "I'm sorry, it's just really amusing to see a man as powerful as yourself being reduced to a shy, blushing boy. We don't get that now. Men are almost always so overly-confident and full of themselves despite their lack of _substance_."

Steve nodded quietly in response to her explanation due to the thermometer in his mouth as Holly got started on his blood pressure. A comfortable silence hung over them, now that Steve had explained his reasoning for his uneasiness around her.

"I think they look okay," Steve blurted out, breaking the silence once Holly had taken the beeping thermometer out of his mouth. His blue eyes were trained on her headband. "A little weird to be seen onboard an espionage agency plane, but I think it looks fine."

"Really? Thank you!" Holly beamed at him as she reached up to adjust the headband. Her eyes seemed even brighter, now that her usual curtain of hair did not block them. "At least someone appreciates it!"

"I bought them especially for my cat you know? I thought I should dress myself in something similar to his species in order to avoid shocking him. He was just a baby when I got him and I'm sure it's not good for his mental health to suddenly have a human looking after him. I missed him a lot this morning, that's why I had this on. It looks ridiculous, I know, all the agents were looking at me weird." She went on, ignoring the fact that the super-soldier might not be interested in the story behind her accessory.

It was a habit of hers, to always ramble on when she touched on one of her favourite subjects. Phil thought it was endearing, although annoying at times when he wanted to be left alone. Others, such as her colleagues at the hospital, found her tendency to talk endlessly aggravating, especially when they've just had a twelve-hour shift dealing with annoying patients who were demanding to be treated for trivial illnesses such as a common flu.

"He's called Tobie," She added, taking the thermometer from Steve's mouth when it started beeping. "Cute name, isn't it? I had one of the kid's in the hospital choose it for me."

"Do you work in the pediatrics?"

"I love children, don't get me wrong, but I don't think I have the patience to deal with them all day everyday. I can't even be in the same room as my niece when she goes into one of her rages. Nope, I work in the trauma department," said Holly as she readied the timer and placed her fingers on Steve's pulse-point. "The little girl who named Tobie – her name's Laney, by the way – was a patient at the hospital. Leukemia. Poor girl was a total sweet – okay, I wouldn't necessarily call her a sweetheart. That girl's _rough_. I nearly knocked her down when I was rounding the corner with my medical cart. It was her birthday, that day, you know? But her parents were too busy with work to come visit her. It's ridiculous, really. Work shouldn't come before family. Family _always _comes first, no matter what. Especially when said family member is sick and looking forward to your visits." She stated indignantly, obviously feeling angry for Laney.

Steve had to force down the smile from breaking on his face as he listened attentively to her tirade.

"Anyway, she got angry at me for nearly bowling her over. But then, she started crying. Now, I don't have any experience whatsoever with crying children. Wailing adults were another thing entirely; I deal with them all the time. But crying children? No. Just no." Holly shook her head and proceeded to count Steve's calm breathing. "So, I panicked and pulled her into an empty ward and I tried to hush her up. She was going all red in the face. I thought I was going to _kill _her! I tried bribing her with candies because really, which kid on Earth doesn't like Mars Bars and Sour Patch Kids right? But then she shook her head and screamed at me saying she wasn't allowed candies, and proceeded to throw me the _ugliest_ glare in the world, saying, _'What kind of nurse, are you? Do you not know that people like me aren't allowed to eat everything?'_ Then there were more tears and more words and somewhere amongst her wailing I made out the words, _'It's my birthday but it sucks because my parents are not here and I'm all alone, about to be killed by a negligent fool,' _Yeah, I know, she said that. Charming girl, really.

"By now, I was so desperate for her to stop crying that I would do _anything_. So, I told her that she could have the honours of naming my kitten if she stopped crying. Whoa, she ceased her tears faster than you can say 'cat'. I nearly regretted it when she first suggested Henry. Who names a kitten _'Henry'_ anyway? But then, she changed her mind and picked Tobie instead, thank god." Holly concluded. "And that's how Tobie became Tobie,"

She pulled her hands away from Steve's wrist before halting when she realized she had been going on and on for the past few minutes while he stayed silent during her endless jabbering. Holly looked up at him worriedly and plastered on a meek smile.

"Was I talking too much? Is it annoying you? I'm sorry,"

"It's fine." Steve said, smiling. He was amused, if anything, by her off-topic babble. "There's only one thing bothering me though,"

"That is?"

"Sour Patch _Kids_?"

Holly chuckled at the confused look on his face. "Oh yeah, I forgot you were from the forties. It's a candy, like Swedish Fish? Ring any bells? No?" She shook her head, watching as the baffled expression on Steve's face deepened. "Oh, erm, it's just a type of soft candy coated with a sour powder. I hate that stuff, to be honest. I can't ever understand why so many people like them. They're disgusting."

Steve laughed at her obvious distaste for the candy and watched as she jotted down his recordings in a neat, cursive script. It seemed as if he had managed to hold himself quite well in her presence today, although his heart rate was still a tad bit higher than normal. "You don't like sweet things?"

"No, no. I do. It's just the Sour Patch Kids or any kind of sour candies I've got a problem with." She explained, not looking up from her notebook. "What's the point of eating sweets if they're _sour_? It's contradicting and stupid to me. Sweets are meant to be sweet. That's the whole point of creating sugar confectionary.

"Anyway, your vitals are looking much better than yester –"

"We've got a hit!" The two turned towards the bald, bespectacled agent working near them at the loud call of his announcement. "Sixty-seven percent match."

The computer in front of him was letting out a sharp alarm as the picture of Loki flashed in red on the bright screen. Fury turned away from where he had been speaking quietly to Hill and walked up to his own panels of computer.

The same agent turned back towards his computer when another alarm sounded and his brows furrowed. "Wait – cross match, seventy-nine percent!"

Coulson rushed up to the man. "Location?"

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28 Königstrasse," The agent declared after a tap was pulled up on the screen with an area highlighted by a small red dot. "He's not exactly hiding,"

"Captain," Both Steve and Holly turned towards Fury, whose attention was cast on the super-soldier. "You're up."

Steve nodded curtly at his even command and rushed from the control bridge without another word. Holly shared a worried look with Coulson before she too darted out into the corridor after him, taking hurried steps to catch up with the man.

"Steve! Wait!"

The super-soldier halted at the call of his name and wheeled around, raising his brows at the sight of Holly following him quickly. He waited for the young woman to reach him before continuing on his wake towards the armory, though his large strides were slower this time so that she could catch up with him.

Holly held onto the strap of her satchel tightly as she walked briskly beside the determined captain. "Are you going after Loki alone?"

Steve looked down at her and nodded, his blue eyes ablaze with fearlessness. "It would seem so."

"But he – _please be careful._" Holly bit out, flushing red when he glanced at her again. "Loki… I've seen the destruction he can cause. He's absolutely, totally off his rockers, and not to mention, he's got magic powers and a wand. He's danger with a _bolded_ capital D and several exclamation marks to emphasize the point. You've _got_ to be careful."

"Don't worry, ma'am." said Steve as he sent the fretful woman an assuring smile. "I'll be fine,"

"It's Holly." Her hand shot out and held onto his arm tightly causing the two to stop in their tracks in the middle of the helicarrier's corridor abruptly at her action. Steve blushed, while Holly's red cheeks brightened further. "You have to promise me you'll be careful."

"Ma'a – Holly, I'll be okay." Steve assured her, though he was slightly taken aback at the amount of concern she was giving him. "Really."

"Just promise me," She demanded firmly, her grip tightening on his arm. She let out a weak smile to neutralize the severity of her words before her hold on his arm slackened. "I haven't shown you how Tobie looks like yet. You've got to come back whole enough for me to gush to you how adorable he is."

Steve's nodded, his lips curling up into a small grin. "I'm looking forward to that,"

"Don't come back with injuries I can't fix," Holly added, taking his response as a positive acknowledgement of her plea for assurance.

"I won't." Steve replied, the smile on his face stretching slightly. "I'll see you later, Holly."

"See you," said Holly as Steve flashed her a quick smile and continued down the corridor. "_Be careful!_"

Steve turned back at her reminder again and nodded his head, grinning at the bright pink flush in her cheeks that was apparent she was embarrassed at her own outburst. With another wave, the soldier started towards the armory again, a silhouette of a man on a mission as he left with Holly watching after him worriedly.

* * *

Holly sighed again for the third time that half hour as she sat uncomfortably in the stiff chair beside Coulson, who had been tapping away at the computer keyboard diligently. Her headband was tucked away in her satchel now, after proving to be a nuisance with her repetitive actions of tucking and pulling her hair from behind her ear. Plus, the agent beside her couldn't help but snigger whenever he turned to look at her, much to her displeasure.

For the past hour and a half, Holly had been trying to find ways to occupy herself while she waited for Steve and Agent Romanoff's return from their mission to capture Loki.

She hated waiting, and the fact that she was waiting to know if Steve was going to be alive or not was killing her.

Sure, he's a super-soldier with an enhanced body of peak human _everything,_ but Loki was a _God_, for crying out loud. A human going up against a deity was never going to be a fair fight, no matter how strong and competent the human may be. Not to mention, said God had a magic wand that he could use to control anyone within his path. So, who's to say he wouldn't use it against Steve?

The first hour of the wait was spent doing productive things such as taking Dr. Banner's vitals, bringing him his lunch (she decided to be the deliverer of the scientist's meals in the end) and updating him on the progress of their mission as they made small talk for a while before she left the him alone to work on the Tesseract in peace. Holly then decided to drop by the medical bay and see if there was anything she could do. However, seeing as they were on a helicarrier where nothing (or anything, for that matter) happened, the medical bay was as desolate as a ghost town. The only patient there was a poorly looking man who had his head bent over a vomit bucket while Dr. Conway prescribed him with some motion-sickness medicine.

It amused Holly to know that even S.H.I.E.L.D's agents could get motion-sickness when they always appeared to be so limitless and unbeatable. The gratification ended though, when the sickly agent gave a particularly hard heave, causing her to cringe in empathy.

Coulson cut her a concerned glance at her sigh before turning back towards what he had been doing. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." came her distracted reply as she resumed staring into space.

"You've been sighing and doing that thing you always do with your hair when you're upset." Coulson pointed out, puling his eyes away from the screen and setting his worried gaze on her. "You're not fine,"

Holly stayed quiet at her uncle's blunt observation and sagged in her seat, fiddling with her hair once more. "Do you think Captain Rogers is going to be okay?"

Coulson quirked an eyebrow at her random question and appraised the young woman with interest.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. He's Captain America," Coulson replied lightly.

"You're just saying that because you _adore _the man," Holly murmured. "Super-soldier or not, he's going up against a _God_. Isn't that enough to worry you?"

"He'll be fine. I have faith in him," the agent said. "Why are you so concerned, anyway? Are you two that close?"

His eyes narrowed at the young woman suspiciously. It wasn't in a way of jealousy that he assumed Steve and Holly were much closer with each other than with him, but in a way where Coulson would look when he found out that the young woman was hiding a potential romantic relationship from him.

"What's with that look? Can't I be worried about a friend?" asked Holly defensively.

"Sure, whatever you say, sweetheart." Coulson grinned and turned back to the computer when a box popped up on the working screen. "Looks like you don't have to wait anymore. Agent Romanoff just sent a message to say they're en route back to the helicarrier. With _two _Gods."

"Two?"

"Seems as though Thor decided to tag along."

Holly let out a rough sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "My life is not normal. Why can't the most exciting thing in my life be something like choosing between having pancakes or waffles for breakfast?"

"You were never normal to start with," Coulson commented mildly and received a dirty look from the young woman almost immediately. He was about to defend himself when he pressed a finger on the earpiece he had always been wearing and listened attentively to the message Fury was sending to all of his agents. "Hols, are you free?"

The young woman gestured to her slacking body slumped in the chair and raised an eyebrow at him in response. "I'm going to take that as a 'Yes, Uncle Phil. I'm free, and I'm more than happy to help you with whatever you need.' Can you go fetch Dr. Banner from the lab for me and bring him to the bridge? There's a slight problem dealing with the Tesseract and we need Banner's help."

"I came here to be a nurse," She grumbled, even though she got up from her seat and made her way towards the laboratory.

* * *

The response for Chapter 8 was overwhelming! Highest number of reviews I've received. Glad to see all of you enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Thanks for pointing out the various mistakes in my last chapter, **Golfbabe87 **:)

Love to these wonderful people who never cease to motivate me: **Vegas here i comee, Jen Lennon, patito, K, LuckyandStars, TiraLu, S1SKA, klspun, Little Weasley Girl, garnet86, Hailey-Stone, jgal747, ****AoiKuroNekoSan, FleurSuoh, WhatsGoingOn, cloysterbells, PrettyGirl, WingedButterfly, AngelVamp6688, Musicfreak25, , pointyearsrules **and** Magical Faerie.**

Love reading your comments no matter how short/long, off/on topic you guys are haha

xo, thekindlyones


	10. Two Gods and a Man of Iron

**********Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Ten: Two Gods and a Man of Iron_

* * *

Holly listened attentively to the confrontation that was playing aloud from the smart table the group was gathered around. Her eyes were trained on the video playing on the glass screen as she prepared to clean out the shallow abrasion on Steve's chin.

He had returned not too long ago with Agent Romanoff and the two Asgardian gods – Thor and Loki in tow, and was ushered into the main control room for a meeting while the latter of the two gods was being heavily escorted to his holding cell onboard the helicarrier.

Fury was currently warning Loki of the possible outcomes, should he attempt to escape the confines of the glass cage he was locked in – something that involved Loki being an ant and the red button being the boot – even though the gaunt-faced Asgardian seemed not to take his words into serious consideration.

The sound of his chilling cackles filled the tensed silence of the helicarrier's bridge as Loki looked around the cage and gestured to his prison nonchalantly.

"It's an impressive cage," His smooth, buttery voice noted with a hint of proud smugness. "Not built, I think, for me."

Holly doused the gauze in her hand with the bottle of saline solution in her kit before her left hand came up to hold onto Steve's chin gently. The super-soldier and Thor came out of the brawl relatively unscathed, save for some small cuts and minor burns, as far as Holly could tell first hand when she arrived at the control hall with Dr. Banner.

Her fingers grasped at his chin lightly while her thumb steadied her hand on its spot beside his lips. Steve fidgeted at the close contact and cleared his throat awkwardly, much to her amusement. Her eyes darted from his flushed cheeks to his pointed chin, focusing as she cleaned out his cut gingerly, making sure to get all the dirt out before she proceeded to dressing it.

"It's built for something a lot stronger than you,"

"Oh, I've heard, the mindless beast. Let's pray he's still a man," came Loki's slimy rebuttal. Holly paused in her ministrations and turned her head slightly to gauge Dr. Banner's reaction.

Unlike her and everyone else on the bridge, Steve chose to keep his eyes rooted to the video, not wanting the good scientist to feel even more out of place and singled out than he was already capable of making himself feel.

"How _desperate _are you?" Loki asked Fury as he moved closer to the glass. "That you call on such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I?" answered Fury. His deep, authoritative voice rang loud and clear, his words precise and even. "You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can't hope to control, you talk about peace, and you kill 'cause it's _fun_. You have made me _very_ desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

Loki chuckled again.

"I hate when he laughs, it's such a creepy sound." Holly whispered uneasily. Steve's eyes darted to her with furrowed brows and nodded in silent agreement.

"Oooh, it _burns_ you. To have come so close, to have the Tesseract, to have power. Unlimited power. And for what?" Loki looked up at the security camera that was sending the live feed to the bridge, his hungry gaze piercing through the glass at his unseen but watchful foes. "A warm light for all mankind to share? And then to be reminded what _real_ power is."

Fury smirked. "Well, let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine or something."

And with that, the screen playing the video cut to black and the tensed silence returned to the bridge once more.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Banner commented with a sarcastic smile as he folded his arms across his chest self-consciously.

"Loki's going to drag this out," Steve stated; grimness coating his handsome features. His hardened glare shifted from the clear glass table to the helicarrier's newest arrival. "So, Thor. What's his play?"

Holly turned towards the god. When she had first seen the Asgardian prince upon arriving at the control hall with Banner, she had thought Thor reminded her of Steve – albeit a cape wearing, longhaired and more muscular version.

Clad in an armour of silver metal, black leather and a flowing bold crimson cape; Thor was the epitome of pure might and strength. He was a specimen of power with his tall stature, hulking shoulders and bulging biceps. Holly had thought Steve was an extremely built man when she had interrupted him during his work out. Thor on the other hand had brought burliness to an entirely new level.

"He has an army called the Chitauri." Thor declared in his rich, baritone voice. Even Holly couldn't help but feel threatened by his voice alone. "They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"An army." Steve bit out flatly, eyeing the Asgardian. "From outer space."

Holly dripped a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on a new piece of gauze and turned his chin towards her again. "Hey, it's going to sting a little, okay? Don't say I didn't warn you."

Steve was about to reply when Holly pressed the gauze onto his cut, causing him to let out a hiss at the suddenness of her action and the stinging pain of the chemical mixing with his wound. The others were too busy talking about Dr. Selvig and Loki controlling the minds of others to pay them any mind, much to Steve's relief.

Holly chuckled as she rubbed the gauze against his cut gently. "Who knew the great Captain America would be scared of some hydrogen peroxide?"

"I'm not scared," Steve replied instantly. "I was just taken by surprise. You jabbed me with that thing quite suddenly."

"Excuses," Holly coughed, though a small smile still lingered on her face.

Steve flushed at her teasing and tuned in back towards the trio's conversation. "I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki." Banner said. "That guy's brain is a bag full of cats. You can smell crazy on him."

"Hey, that's not very nice." Holly defended indignantly, speaking up for the first time in the conversation. She looked up from the tape dispenser and frowned at the scientist, receiving a surprised look in return. "Cats are nice animals. Not _all_ of them are crazy."

Romanoff shot the nurse an amused look and smirked when she blushed at the sudden attention focused on her. Even Thor had broken away from his pacing to frown down at the strange woman tending to the Captain. He tore his questioning gaze from her however, when Banner's words registered in his head.

"Have a care how you speak." His baritone voice boomed threateningly. "Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother."

"He killed _eighty_ people in two days," Romanoff pointed out, shooting the Asgardian a look.

Thor looked away. "He's adopted."

"Alright, you're done." Holly muttered, as she smoothed her thumbs over the thin flesh coloured tape holding the small piece of gauze in place. She stepped back from the man and turned to him with a scrutinizing gaze, much like the one she had studied him with when they were onboard the jet to the helicarrier and asked, "Is there anything else you'll like me to tend to? Any headaches, double-visions?"

"No, Ma'am. Everything's okay now," answered Steve, though his eyes did shift away to the surface of the table. "Thank you,"

Holly narrowed her eyes suspiciously and studied the man. Her eyes lingered on his suit-clad torso and she couldn't help but appreciate the way it defined his broad chest fantastically. She was broken out of her ogling when Steve gave a small fidget, not because of her staring (he was oblivious to it, as he always was when it came to womankind), but because, it seemed his left arm was causing him some discomfort. Unlike his right arm that was lounging against the glass table, Steve was tensing his left arm to his side tightly.

Holly sighed in annoyance. '_Men,_' she tutted in her head.

"Well then, since you say you're fine…" Holly piped up. "You're good to go, Captain."

With a wicked grin, she clapped her hand down on Steve's left shoulder, not too hard to cause serious trauma, but strong enough to make him feel pain in his injured arm. She watched with grim satisfaction as he let out a pained yelp and cradled his stiff limb gingerly. The Captain's blue eyes shot up to her in unbridled hurt, his ocean eyes swimming in pain and slight annoyance.

She tilted her head to the side at his look, feigning for the entire world, ignorant of his abused arm as she smiled at him innocently. "Yes?"

"N-nothing," Steve gritted out as beads of perspirations formed on his hairline due to the pain.

"That's what I thought." Holly hummed, smiling sweetly at him as she turned to dispose off the used gauze and her gloves. She then replaced it with a new pair and turned towards the other blonde man who was now staring at the table with a fixated glare. "Mr. Thor, your turn now."

"Tis fine, my lady." The god's deep voice boomed across the room in an unrecognizable accent. "A mere scratch like this is nothing. I am of Asgardian blood, a heritage with unmatchable strength and tolerance for pain. Your mortal healing will not make a difference on me."

Holly regarded him with a raised brow. With a long suffering sigh, one that sounded odd coming from someone as young as her, she marched up to the man, gloves in place, a determined scowl set on her delicate features and proceeded to jab a finger hard onto the patch of burnt skin on his arm.

Thor let out a tremendously loud howl of pain that everyone thought even the furthest end of the helicarrier could have heard. Steve cringed at his bellow. Banner tried to keep himself calm at the commotion around him. Romanoff merely leaned further back into her seat and fixed her attention on the scene with amusement.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Holly said, not sounding nor looking very apologetic at all. "Did that hurt, sir?"

Thor glared down at her with furious blue eyes. "Yes! For Odin's sake! That pains me very much!"

"Huh." The nurse deadpanned. "I thought you were 'of Asgardian blood, a heritage with unmatchable strength and tolerance for pain'? How's that tolerance now, then?"

Thor merely whimpered at her snarky attitude and pulled his abused arm closer to his armour clad body.

"_Sit_." Holly bit out, directing the god to an empty chair with a point of her finger and a sickly, sweet smile plastered on her face. "Please." She added as an afterthought.

Everyone watched in quiet entertainment as the burly giant of a man sat down almost immediately at the dark glare in Holly's eyes. The nurse nodded approvingly at his quiet compliance and then set to work, pulling out more gauze and bandages from her bag.

"That's really Coulson's charge right there," Romanoff commented lightly to no one in particular, although Steve nodded with her in agreement.

"Anyway, Erik's about the mechanics. But iridium," Banner voiced. "What do they need the iridium for?"

Before anyone could answer his question however (not that anyone had one to what even an accomplished scientist didn't understand), a new voice had joined the group, followed by two figures entering the doors – one familiar, and one notoriously famous.

"It's a stabilizing agent," Tony Stark and turned to Coulson with a smirk. "So I'm saying, take a weekend off and I'll fly you to Portland. Keeps love alive,"

The agent merely smiled at his suggestion before walking off to stand at the side as Stark commanded the attention of the entire table by simply strutting into the room in his immaculately dark suit and an over-confident stance.

"That means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D." He added, moving further into the room. His eyes landed on Thor and he smirked, patting the back of his hand against the god's thick arm. "No hard feelings Point Break. You've got a mean swing."

"Also," he continued, moving towards Fury's control panels swiftly. "It means the portal can open as wide and stay up as long as Loki wants."

He looked towards the agents at the computers and begun giving out orders, much to their dissatisfaction which they showed by turning towards him with identical looks of chagrin. Stark sighed and pointed to an agent off to the side.

"That man is playing _Galaga_. He thought we wouldn't notice, but we did." His petulant complain was broken when his attention landed on the various screens on the platform. "How does Fury even see these things?"

"He turns," Agent Hill responded blankly, folding her arms across her chest.

"That's exhausting," Stark returned lightly as he began fidgeting with the commands on the computers. "The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. The only major component he still needs is a power source," he rattled on, hands still tweaking the onscreen network. "Of high energy density. Something to _kick-start_ the cube."

He turned to face the group when his sharp, dark eyes landed on Holly's figure bent over Thor's arm attentively.

"Is that a nurse?" Stark asked, pointing at her with an eyebrow quirked up in interest. "We've got a _personal_ nurse?"

Holly looked up at his question, throwing the used gauze into the little bag of trash she carried in her satchel. She watched as Stark moved towards her with narrowed eyes and blinked at the sudden scrutinizing glare he was studying her with. "You're not a Life Model Decoy or something like that are you? Coulson, she's not, is she?"

"No, Mr. Stark." came the dry reply.

"Uhm, hi." Holly stretched her left hand out for her right hand was currently holding a piece of clean gauze over Thor's burn. "Holly Fairchild, Mr. Stark."

"You can call me, Tony." He returned smoothly with a wink, taking her hand and kissing the back of it lightly. Holly took her hand back from him swiftly and let out an awkward laugh before going back to dressing Thor's wound. "I didn't know we've got a personal medical nurse tending to us. Wow, who knew Fury actually understood what benefits we require. He always seemed like a big ball of things that are not fun."

Holly blinked up at him in confusion.

"Nurse Holly – I like your name by the way, gives me the fuzzy, festive feelings – I think I've got a cut…" Tony said, leaning on the table towards her with a charming smile. "Somewhere on my _lower_ anatomy, do you mind checking it out for me?"

Steve scoffed and cut the obnoxious genius a glare and a dark scowl from across the table. "Show some respect for the lady, Stark."

"Just because you're a century old virgin doesn't mean all of us should be like you, Capsicle Rogers."

"And because being a flirtatious charmer such as yourself is a good thing?" Steve countered, red flaring in his cheeks at Stark's comment.

"It's got me laid enough," The billionaire shrugged nonchalantly. "You need to loosen up, Cap. No one likes an uptight man like you with the whole _'holier-than-thou' _thing going. Not in this age, anyway." He turned back towards the nurse and smirked. "Now as I was saying, perhaps we cou – "

"If you could just wait one moment, Mr. Stark," Holly cut in without looking up from dressing Thor's arm. "I'll go get a male nursing attendant to come check up on you. I'm sure you're not in any life-threatening situations, seeing as how you're able to speak _so_ coherently."

The smirk on his face only grew wider at her cool response. "Oooh, a witty, beautiful nurse with a bite." He leaned forward, propping an arm on the table. "I like that."

"Stark! I _swear_ to God –"

"Can we just get back to the Tesseract?" Coulson asked, his voice interrupting Steve's threat. "Please?"

"Fine, fine. You guys at S.H.I.E.L.D are really no fun. At all." He rolled his eyes at the blank faces staring back at him.

Agent Hill rolled her eyes and crossed her arms tightly. "When did you become a thermonuclear astrophysicist?"

"Last night." He retorted smoothly. "The packet. Selvig's notes. The extraction theory papers? Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Does Loki need a particular kind of power source?" Steve gritted out, obviously feeling aggravated by Stark's sarcasm.

"He has got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin," Banner spoke up, pacing as he twirled his wiry glasses in his hands. "Just to break through the cooling barrier."

"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum-tunneling effect." Stark added, moving closer to the scientist.

"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion-fusion at any reactor on the planet."

"Finally!" Stark exclaimed, motioning a hand towards the other scientist on the bridge. "Someone who speaks English."

"Is that what just happened?" Steve asked, fidgeting in his seat as he turned to Holly in confusion. The nurse could only laugh at his lost look, shrugging as well, before she turned back to Thor.

"Don't touch it, scratch it, take the gauze off and wet it." She said sternly to the surprisingly obedient man. "Understand?"

"Yes, my lady." Thor replied, though a frown marred his brows as he studied the piece of white gauze. "I shall not touch it, scratch it, take – may I take it off? It is but a small burn. I have no need for such an obvious protective patch. It is in our tradition to display our battle wounds prou –" He stopped at the look on Holly's face and nodded meekly. "I shall not take it off and wet it. I understand."

"Good." She said, nodding her head. "Is that all you've got?"

Thor nodded.

"Then you're done. But do go straight to the medical bay when you don't feel well, okay?" She instructed as she packed her things away.

"I shall, my lady. I will thank you kindly for your generous assistance."

Holly smiled, entertained by his words because she was still not used to the way he spoke. He spoke like how the characters in a Jane Austen novel would. "You're welcome,"

"– I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster,"

Banner's lips pursed. "Thanks."

"Dr. Banner is only here to track the Cube." Fury strode into the room and looked at Stark sternly. "I was hoping you might join him."

"Let's start with that stick of his," Steve advised, turning to the Director. "It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon."

Holly moved beside Coulson and leaned against the railing of the platform. "All this talk about ions and sticks and Loki is making my head hurt,"

The agent grinned down at the confused young woman as he hugged the file closer to his chest with an agreeing nod. "Mine too, to be honest."

"I don't know about that, but it is powered by the Cube." Fury frowned and directed his gaze towards the two scientists. "And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys?" Thor echoed, looking around the room like a lost child. "I do not understand –"

"I do!" Steve exclaimed, pointing a finger at the Asgardian god. Stark rolled his eyes at the super-soldier while Banner tried to conceal his amusement beside him. "I – I understood that reference."

His cheeks were tinged pink at the silence in the room after his outburst. Steve sneaked a glance at Holly, only to look away quickly when he noticed she had been staring at him the whole time.

"Cute," Holly whispered to herself.

Coulson turned. "What?"

"N-nothing!" The nurse stood straighter and shook her head; ignoring the look her uncle was sending her. "Nothing."

* * *

Steve had just gotten out of the showers when a series of light knocking came from his room's door. He let out a big sigh and draped his wet towel around his neck, before pulling it away quickly when the memory of his towel getting tangled up with his dog tags crept into his head.

It was already late at night when he had returned to the helicarrier with Loki and Thor, and all Steve wanted to do was to turn in early and have a good night's rest. His left side had been throbbing painfully ever since the dark haired god had struck him with his golden scepter. Powered by the Tesseract or not, the gold stick was a formidable weapon on its own. A huge, ugly bruise was slowly but surely starting to blossom across his shoulder, which was visible under the white wife-beater he was wearing.

Steve draped his towel over the back of the lone armchair and moved towards the door quickly, praying that it wasn't Fury, Hill nor Coulson coming to retrieve him for yet another assignment before he could get at least an hour of sleep.

"Hey,"

Steve stared at his visitor in surprise. Although it wasn't any of the three mentioned standing at his doorstep, he couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive at seeing the pair of bright sea-green eyes blinking up at him.

"Hi?"

Holly smiled up at him as the two stared at each other for a few more seconds. She fidgeted in her spot at the awkward silence and spoke up once more. "Can I come in?"

"Oh! Uh – yeah, sure." Steve moved back from the door to allow her entry. His cheeks burned in embarrassment at his lack of manners. "Sure, come on in."

"I hope I'm not disturbing you or anything," Holly admitted meekly as she moved further into the space that was similar to the one she was allocated. However, unlike hers, Steve's room was hardly broken in, apart from the messy bed sheets and the damp towel draped over the armchair.

"Oh, no." Steve replied, ruffling his still damp hair. "I was just done with my shower." Holly mumbled something under her breath that he failed to catch, and blushed before averting her eyes away from him. "Is there something you need?"

The young nurse snapped her attention back to him as her flustered expression gave way to a stern and firm glare. She pointed a slender finger at his badly bruised shoulder and raised an eyebrow at him challengingly. "I thought you said you sustained no other injuries?"

"Yeah, uhm." The Captain scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. A small frown creased his smooth forehead as he tried to come up with a viable excuse for the young woman. "About that… I uh…"

Holly let out a soft sigh and shook her head. "You men are always such stubborn creatures."

She directed Steve towards his bed before dragging the armchair closer to him and taking a seat in it.

"Bruises no matter how light or severe, should always be treated." Holly admonished sternly as she sat her satchel on the bedside table. "Otherwise, they might wind up causing permanent muscle damage. Especially detrimental for you since it's so close to your arm."

"I don't think mine's that serious, Holly." Steve said, even though he felt thoroughly chastised by her words. Holly had a special way of making him feel guilty about his actions even though they were mere, trivial wrongdoings.

"That's what they always say. And when things get worst, they start complaining." She muttered darkly.

Holly took his arm in her hands gently and rotated it a few times slowly, looking at Steve's face to gauge his discomfort. "Does it hurt if I do this?"

"It's fine. Just feels a little sore."

"That's good, at least your shoulder isn't dislocated or anything." Holly commented. She looked at the awkward location of his bruise, a spot where it could be seen and yet was half-hidden by his wife beater, and wondered how she was going to tend to it without placing him (or her for that matter) in an uncomfortable situation.

If she had told him to take his shirt off completely, Steve (and herself) was just going to spend the entirety of the treatment blushing and stammering and being all around awkward like the sweet, shy man he was. Instead, Holly took the strap of Steve's top and slipped it off his shoulder (all the while fighting the bright blush at the appearance of his smooth skin), instructing him to keep a hold on it.

"Does this hurt?" She asked, keeping her gaze firm on the bruise as she prodded the area with her finger gently. The contusion was about the size of her hand and had turned an angry shade of dark purple. It looked as though someone had squirted a large amount of a Byzantium coloured paint onto his shoulder and smeared it around messily.

Steve shook his head for the first few pokes, but winced noticeably when she brushed across a particularly sore spot. "That one did."

"Sorry," She whispered at his pained expression and proceeded to soothe the area by running a light thumb over the skin.

Steve stayed silent but tensed under her touch as a warmth spread from the pits of his gut to the rest of his body. It burned as though he had just knocked back a shot of the strongest whiskey and although unwelcomed, the tingling sensation wasn't unpleasant.

Not at all.

Instead, the delicate touches made him want to close his eyes and drift off into a long, deep sleep.

"Right!" Steve's eyes snapped open and blinked blearily when he realized he _had _drifted off and was on the verge of slipping into sleep. He snuck a glance at Holly, only to realize with a quiet breath of relief that she hadn't noticed anything.

"Nothing major. Just some really bad bruising." She observed and pulled out a blue gel pack from her satchel.

Holly unfolded and smoothed it out quickly before reaching to push a small red button on the back of the pack. Within seconds, the soft, malleable blue gel had harden and frozen into a frigid ice pack, much to Steve's amazement.

"How…"

"Technology." Holly said, placing the ice pack onto his shoulder gently. She moulded it as best as she could such that the pack draped over his shoulder and covered most of the bruise. "Now, you'll need to ice the area, on and off. Always make sure to give it a break, or you'll numb the tissue. The pack will deactivate itself every fifteen minutes and to reactivate it, just push the button at the back."

Steve nodded and held a hand up to steady the pack. "Thanks."

"What did Loki hit you with anyway?" She asked, reclining back into the chair. "That looks really nasty."

"His stick."

"Oooh," Holly hissed, thinking back to the thick gold scepter she had seen resting atop one of the benches in Banner's laboratory. "Well, at least you came back in one piece. That stick looks as though it could skewer a boar."

She laughed before slinging her satchel over her shoulder. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow for your daily vitals again. You have a good rest now."

Steve could only watch as she stood from the chair and moved towards the door.

"Wait!" Holly turned back towards him in surprise at his outburst. Steve stood from his bed and took a few steps towards her. His hand had risen to scratch the back of his head bashfully. "You said you wanted to show me your cat. When I'm uh – back."

Holly's brows rose in surprise. She never expected him to remember the nonsense she had said. Most people would simply tune her out. The only one who truly cared to keep in mind all that she had ever mentioned was Coulson.

"Another day, Cap." She couldn't help the bright grin from appearing and the happy, gleeful tone from lining her words. "You look like you need the rest."

Steve nodded, not disagreeing and returned her smile. He walked towards her with a strong, stable stride and moved to open the door for her.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." He said as the two lingered in the doorway.

"Remember, ice it on and off for fifteen minutes." Holly repeated. "And to see me if you experience any intense pain –"

"Why, hello there."

The two turned towards the baritone voice and watched as Tony Stark stalked up to them with a smirk. He held a sleek, metallic briefcase in his hand, which he swung with careless abandon.

"Mr. Stark! Hi!"

"Didn't think I'll see the two of you here at this hour." Stark remarked, coming to a stop before them. "In front of Cap's room door."

"Captain Rogers injured himself." Holly quickly explained and pointed at the ice pack sitting on Steve's shoulder. "I just came to see to it before it get worst. That's all. Really."

Stark merely hummed in reply and noted how the two started flushing red under his unwavering gaze. Steve's hard glare directing at him – whether from his interruption or from how he was so obviously enjoying himself at the expanse of their embarrassment – only served to amuse him that much more.

"Ahh, _now_ I see." Stark finally said, looking between the two with eyebrows raised in interest. "I hope you're feeling better under Ms. Fairchild's special care, Cap."

If possible, the two blushed an even brighter red at the insinuation in his words.

"I'm uh, going to return to my room. It's late." Holly stammered out, gripping the strap of her bag tightly. "Goodnight Captain Rogers, Mr. Stark."

The two men returned her address before the brunette turned and walked stiffly down the corridor towards her own room, leaving them staring after her, one amused and the other concerned.

"I take back the whole 'century old virgin' comment, Cap."

"_Shut up, Stark_."

* * *

So, I'm back (and alive, don't worry guys) I know, I know. Finally, right?

First off, I'm truly sorry for the long wait. It's been what, a whole 6 months since my last update? I won't lie and say I was busy. It was more of a shift of interest and focus. But now, my muse's returned to me and I'm back to writing this and a few other stories. I'll be starting a new series from the Batman movies :)

Secondly, I would like to thank EVERYONE for your tremendous patience, support and encouragement (there was a whooping **65** reviews for Chapter 9!). I feel horrible as a writer to keep all of you waiting for so long but I just can't seem to pen anything down without wanting to chuck my laptop out of my window and watch it free fall to its death. To be honest, I'd rather not upload anything at all if it didn't meet my expectations. I'd hate for all of you to read a half-assed work. I'm sure you would too.

Thirdly, I've got a poll ongoing on my profile, and would love if you participated in it. It's regarding the fate of one of our beloved characters. Before this, I have already decided the end result of this character. But after some researching a few months later, I came across news of his future in the cinematic universe. So, now I can't decide whether I should follow through with my original plan or create a new one just for him. PLEASE HELP!

Once again, I can't express my gratitude for your understanding and support. I do hope none of you have forgotten about me and this little dear here. Looking forward to seeing more of you in the future!

_xo thekindlyones_


	11. Secure Storage 10-C

**Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Eleven: Secure Storage 10-C_

* * *

It shouldn't come as a surprise to Holly that a man of Thor's size would be able to consume as much food as he was inhaling at the moment. It's only natural for him to have a huge appetite to make up for the energy used to maintain his colossal build. But even so, the young woman couldn't help but to stare up at him in morbid interest and slight disgust as she watched how fast he was shoveling the lunch pack into his mouth.

Furthermore, that was his third serving in the span of fifteen minutes.

"You're going to give yourself a really bad stomachache if you don't slow down," Holly pointed out. Her careful words cut through the air of loud chewing and delightful moans, noises that Thor was making despite the looks others were sending the both of them.

Holly looked around her and noticed with a wry smile how everyone had avoided sitting near them and had inevitably created a wide berth of empty spaces around their table.

She didn't mind that – although they could have used a little more tact – because she would rather everyone leave them alone then to have them come up to Thor, asking him to perform magic tricks for entertainment.

It can get pretty mundane on an espionage ship, you see. And, well, Thor is a god. And gods are most often omnipotent. So naturally, everyone would be interested in what abilities he could have as a deity.

What she didn't expect, though, was to see SHIELD's personnel avoiding him like the next Black Plague.

"I shall be fine." Thor replied in a booming voice dripping in contentment. "We, Asgardians, are blessed with extraordinary health. We do not suffer from trivial maladies such as that of overeating."

'_Of course you don't,'_ Holly mused and watched as the Asgardian pushed the finished box aside and reached for a new one.

"Hey, stop!" She pushed the untouched bottle of water towards him and pulled the fresh lunch pack towards her instead. "Here, have some water first before you continue, at least."

Thor took the bottle of water with a grateful nod and proceeded to chug the contents down. Within less than a minute, he had emptied the bottle, much to Holly's chagrin. He raised the empty bottle above his head, poised in a position where it looks as if he was going to slam it down on the floor when he stopped and instead, place the container back onto the table with a forlorn sigh.

Then, he pulled the lunch pack back towards him and resumed his eating, slower this time, however, and with the absence of his contentment from before.

"Is something wrong?" Holly asked, confused and mildly startled by the sudden drop in his mood.

Thor swallowed the mouthful of steamed chicken and gave another sigh.

"There is a tradition in Asgard; when one is content with what one has consumed, they will throw the dish down as a sign of satisfaction and good grace. The breaking of the dish is seen as a good gesture." He explained and fiddled with his spoon, turning the disposable plastic over and over in his beefy hand. "I did that the first time I was on your planet. It was a special drink. Your people call it the _coffoo_?"

"Coffee?" Holly offered.

"Yes, that is the one. I threw the cup onto the ground and was chastened for it. It was a wonderful memory that I've kept dear."

"I'm assuming the other person in this memory is a woman."

"You are a perceptive one." Thor chuckled heartily and much to Holly's surprise, a faint red blossomed across his cheeks. "She's more than just a mere woman, Lady Holly. She is but the fairest, wisest and most beautiful I've had the good fortune of meeting."

Thor paused and looked up at his companion with uncertainty. "But that is not to say you are not a lady kind of good character. Jane is just one that is unparallel."

Holly laughed and nodded. "I understand. It's only natural for you to compare the one you like to other women."

"What's this I hear about women?"

The two looked up to see Coulson's stoic face staring down at them with a tightly packed sandwich in one hand and a slim, black tablet in another. He raised his brows at the stack of empty boxes and the pile of lunch packs that were waiting to be emptied. "Well, somebody's hungry."

"Morning, Uncle Phil." Holly smiled, reaching over to press a kiss on the agent's cheek, much to his displeasure. Coulson coughed to hide his embarrassment and instead focused on working to extract his sandwich from the tightly packed plastic wrap. "I didn't know you're allowed breaks, what with being the right hand man of Fury."

"I'm not." Coulson replied. "But even Life Model Decoys require recharging and maintenance from time to time."

Holly scoffed. "With the way you're working, I'd have thought you were one of them."

"How does Loki fare, Son of Coul?" Thor asked.

'_Son of Coul?' _Holly mouthed. Coulson merely shrugged at her.

"The same. He's refusing to talk and is settling for glaring at the security cameras." Coulson answered.

"Thor frowned at that. "And the Tesseract?"

"Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark are still working on its location." Coulson turned back to Holly and frowned. "What are you staring at?"

"What's that in your pocket?" Holly asked in response, narrowing her eyes at the suspicious looking bulge in Coulson's blazer.

Coulson looked down at the spot she was staring at. "Nothing."

"It's those powdered donut thing, isn't it?"

"It's my gun, Hols."

"You've got a gun in the shape of a long roll." Holly retorted. "Do I look like an idiot to you? Come on, take it out."

Thor looked between the two in obvious befuddlement, having not a single idea what they were arguing about.

"I'm telling you, it's my gun."

The young woman squared her shoulders and glared up at the agent. "Don't make me go over there and take it out for you, Phil."

Coulson fixed Holly with his trademark glare, something that had never failed him in intimidating anyone – including the abrasive Tony Stark who had once been threatened by him with a taser and 'supernanny'. The younger of the two merely faced him head on with a piercing stare of her own.

Her eyebrows rose in challenge. Coulson's followed.

There was a beat.

Then, Coulson looked away.

With a firm scowl in place, he reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out the roll of Little Debbie's powdered donuts. He slid it across the table, reluctantly, towards Holly who confiscated the roll with a triumphant grin.

"I've told you before, these things are bad for you." She reasoned and waved the sweet treat in front of the agent intentionally before slipping them into her satchel. "They're 4% protein, 52% carbs and –"

"44% fat." Coulson interjected with a defeated sigh, having heard Holly repeat the donuts' contents to him many times before.

Holly patted the agent on his hand gently and smiled. "It's for your own good, Uncle P. I'm saving you from a lifetime of diseases."

"Says the one who eats cakes on a daily basis."

"I'm young." Holly rebutted. "And I work out." She widened her eyes and peered up at Coulson through her dark hair. "I worry enough about you and your job already, don't add powdered donuts to the pile, please."

Coulson sighed again and nodded curtly. Thor chuckled, amused at how easily the normally composed man had given into Holly with just a peer of her eyes and a whisper of her soft voice. "Fine."

"Thank you." Holly took a quick glance at her watch and gasped, having lost track of time while she was watching Thor eat. "Alright, you guys enjoy your meal. I've got to go see Steve now."

The agent looked up from his tablet and quirk a brow at her. "On a first name basis now, are we?"

Holly shot her uncle a look.

"I call Thor by his name too," She quipped and slung her bag over her shoulder. Quick hands smoothed down the front of her blouse before she reached up to tuck her necklace under it. "You don't hear me calling him Odinson."

Coulson's look of interest only intensified at her even response. Thor's amused expression faded back to one of confusion again. He could never, for the life of him, catch up with the numerous topics that bounced among the people of Earth.

"Can I get his location, please?" Holly asked and reached over the table to watch Coulson tap away at the screen with nimble fingers. He pulled up a map of the helicarrier and scanned the numerous red dots roving in the ship with sharp eyes.

"Why are there only so little dots on the map? I thought there'd at least be a few hundred agents onboard." Holly asked and leaned closer to the tablet. The bright screen flickered for a moment, causing Coulson to look up and shoot her a look. The younger woman leaned back with a sheepish smile. "Sorry,"

"If we were to put every single agent on the map, we wouldn't be able to locate the more important ones when we need to." Coulson explained.

"There we are, my friends!" Thor exclaimed, having abandoned his food to peer over at the tablet as well. He pointed at a cluster of three stationary dots flashing in one of the rooms and started to flail his arm about to see if the dot representing him would copy his actions. "This world is full of such wondrous inventions."

Holly chuckled at his awe. "Wait until you see the toaster."

"Captain Rogers is currently on the way to Banner's lab." Coulson said, pointing to a flashing dot traveling along one of the carrier's corridor.

The nurse nodded her head, mumbled her thanks and reached over the table to press another kiss onto Coulson's cheek. This time, the agent grimaced noticeably as he cast another look at the other people in the room.

"Will you stop that?"

"I'll see you later, Uncle P. You too, Thor." Holly grinned, ignoring the agent's indignant cry and turned to leave the cafeteria.

* * *

Holly was nearing the familiar glass laboratory when she chanced upon Steve exiting the room. Smiling, her hand rose in greeting as she waved, only to have the super soldier turn away the next second as he strode down the other end of the corridor without another word, his steps heavy and purposeful.

The young woman traced his tensed, squared shoulder and frowned, feeling uneasy at how he had promptly ignored her presence and was obviously upset about something. Confused and worried that she had done something wrong, Holly gnawed at her bottom lip in worry before casting a quick look through the laboratory's window.

More computers and other electronic devices were set up in the room as compared to when Banner had been the only one to utilize it. As always, the good scientist was working behind one of the flat screens, tapping and altering the numerous switches flashing on the glass panels. Loki's golden scepter – thick and glistening under the laboratory's clinical light while the blue gem attached to its tip seemingly glowed and pulsed with a life of its own – sat atop a wired contraption that was connected to a briefcase laptop which Stark was working on.

"Oh." Holly muttered when her eyes landed on the billionaire inventor's form.

_Of course._

Perhaps Steve wasn't upset with _her_ after all. Everyone else was not likely going to be the culprit that pissed the soldier off with Stark in the room. It seemed that whenever the billionaire opened his mouth, Steve would be insulted, offended or just plain annoyed by the words that slipped out and the two would just end up going at each other's throats.

Although Holly hadn't known the both of them for a very long time – Steve for three days and Stark for less than one – she could tell that their personalities were the complete opposite of each other; almost like fire and water.

While Steve was calm and levelheaded, Stark was impulsive and volatile. One's a captain who was used to giving orders and leading armies to victories in wars while the other was an arrogant billionaire genius who could care less for orders and rules because he does whatever _he _wants to.

It's no wonder shy and sensitive Steve was always riled up by Stark's abrasive and blunt personality.

Holly could only hope their topic of disagreement this time round didn't concern what Stark had chanced upon the night before. Thinking back, she regretted putting Steve in that position, knowing that if Stark found out, he was going to be teased by the man endlessly. She could have tended to him immediately after the meeting at the bridge regarding Loki's and his plans had concluded.

But no, she just _had_ to let Steve suffer through the agony a little, giving herself a slight sense of satisfaction in knowing that he could have avoided the bodily pain had he been honest with her in the first place.

However, when the grim enjoyment faded away, the tiny guilt nagging at the back of her head increased and surfaced at the thought of the poor, sweet man losing sleep over the injury he sustained to his arm.

So, with her satchel in her grasp, Holly got out of bed and made her way down the hallway towards Steve's room to tend to his injury like a normal nursing attendant would.

It was not because she wanted to see him and his shy, bashful smile again or to hear him stumble over his words. She definitely did not have a thing for Steve and his endearing awkwardness around women.

_Definitely not._

Now, concerned for the man, Holly hurried along the same corridor Steve was thundering down moments ago, hoping to catch up to him before he ended up destroying all of the helicarrier's punching bags (or the helicarrier itself) in an attempt to alleviate his rage. She passed a couple of S.H.I.E.L.D agents who barely spared her a second glance, although one of them did cast her a look of suspicion when she came to a dead end and had to retrace her steps back from the main hallway.

This part of the helicarrier was alien to Holly since there was no need for her to stray too far from the bridge. The living quarters, cafeteria and medical bay were all on the same floor and the furthest she had ventured was to Banner's laboratory, which was one floor above the one she frequent. As compared to the main part of the aircraft, the area Holly was in right now was much quieter. There wasn't anyone in the hallway except for her, and as she moved deeper inside, it only seemed to get more and more desolate.

She looked around her, hoping to see a map or directory even though the chances of seeing one was very low. Giving up, she whipped out her phone to call Coulson for help when a single noise from somewhere to the left of her caught her attention.

"Hello?" She called out into the still air. "Steve?"

Holly punched in the speed dial for Coulson's mobile phone and held it tightly in her hands. She took a step towards the hallway to her left to see that it led off to a dead end with two doors lining the sides.

"Hello? Is anyone ther –"

Her words, shaky and whispered, were cut off when a hand clapped onto her lips tightly while another one snaked around her waist, holding her in a vice-like grip and pulling her into a dark crevice of the corridor.

Holly screamed, her cries for help muffled against the captor's hand while she struggled in the chokehold he had on her. She kicked and flailed and although she wasn't a skilled fighter in any way, the brunette managed to land a harsh foot onto his thigh. But that only caused her captor to tighten his hold on her. There was a moment when something flickered around Holly before the silvery threads wrapped itself fully around her. The thin film pushed against her captor, but to no avail.

'_Goddamnit, he's strong!'_ Holly thought desperately as she increased her kicking.

"Stop!" The man whispered against her ear and pulled her deeper into the gap. "It's me."

Holly stopped her struggling and turned her head, as best as she could, to the side. Seeing Steve's blue eyes staring at her, imploring her to remain silent, she gasped, though she quickly stifled it when a set of footsteps neared them. The two of them watched from their cover of the darkness as a figure stepped into their line of sight.

Holly's eyes widened at the sight of the heavy machine gun clutched tightly in the SHIELD agent's white-knuckled grasp and proceeded to push herself further into Steve's protective clasp.

The heavily equipped agent cast a careful eye along the length of the quiet hallway, but stopped when he caught sight of the dark gap Steve and Holly were hiding in. He raised his weapon, aiming it straight at Holly and was about to take a step closer to them when he stiffened and reached up to press a finger against his ear. The agent frowned at whatever was being said through his earpiece before he lowered his weapon and turned to leave.

Steve waited for the soldier to leave the entire stretch of corridor before he loosened his hold on Holly and stepped around her to check from behind the wall.

Holly leaned against the wall and took a deep breath to calm her wild heart as it thundered against her chest. She was sure the agent had heard her heartbeat, that's why he turned to check on their hiding place.

She turned to Steve when he walked back towards her and glowered at him. "Why are you sneaking around?"

One of Steve's brows rose. "Why are _you _sneaking around?"

"I'm not." Holly rebutted. "I'm following you while you snuck around."

"Why are you following me, then?"

Holly flushed. "I was just passing by and you looked sneaky."

"You were just passing by." Steve deadpanned, giving her a skeptical look. "Here?"

"Yes." The young woman bit out. "Is that a problem?"

Steve merely shook his head in response and stalked towards one of the dark grey door with the words **'SECURE STORAGE 10-C'** stamped in yellow ink across its surface and with quiet, careful steps. He peered into the small glass window then took a step back to study the entrance thoroughly.

"What are you doing?" Holly whispered.

He looked at her and pursed his lips. "Confirming some suspicions."

"Which are?" Holly prompted. Steve paused and push against the door lightly.

"Stark and Banner had this notion that Fury's hiding something from us. Something in regards to…" He broke off and looked uncomfortable. "_Using _the tesseract."

"Like what? Weapons?" Steve's expression darkened at her assumption. "You can't be serious. I thought the whole point of this mission is to recover the tesseract because it's an unstable, destructive energy. Not to utilize it!"

"Fury's planning to _use_ the cube as a source of limitless energy for the planet. Who's to say he wouldn't use it for other purposes?" Steve said and then reached out to grab the steel handle on the door. Holly's eyes roamed along the length of the entrance and stopped when her eyes landed on the rectangular black box installed on the wall beside it.

S.H.I.E.L.D's eagle insignia gleamed brightly in a light amber backlight above a set of number keys. The box consisted of a retina scanner and a fingerprint reader that Holly was positive none of which they possessed.

"Wait, Steve. You need a passc –" The metallic screech of the door being pushed open by Steve's blunt force stopped Holly midway in her words. Slowly, the metal gave way inch by inch, until there was an opening large enough for Steve to pass through and all that's left were the imprints of his hands on the smooth surface.

Holly blinked and shrugged. "Or we could you know, just do that – push the _huge_, _heavy_ metal door open with our bare hands."

Steve grinned at her and slipped through the door before stepping aside to allow the young woman entrance behind him. The soldier turned his head this way and that, straining his ears for any sign of another occupant before he started creeping forward cautiously. Holly trailed behind him with clumsy, anxious steps as compared to the light footfalls of Steve's tensed posture.

The two arrived at a capacious storage room that had a steel wrought iron bridge on both sides of the wall. Large silver crates lined the darkened paths, each secured by a heavy-duty padlock.

Steve turned towards Holly and held a finger up to halt her movements. "Wait here."

With that, he moved towards one of the crates and stepped onto it for leverage before leaping onto the steel platform with ease.

Holly gapped up at him from below and watched as the man strode down the platform before appearing once again. He pointed to the path in front of Holly and motioned for him to follow her, until they both arrived at a set of metal stairs leading to the platform Steve was on.

"We're going to be in such big trouble." Holly whispered and smiled wryly when Steve reached out to help her up the steps. Even during times like these when they were risking their lives, Steve still remembered his manners. "Phil's got a computer that tracks all our whereabouts. He's going to know we've been wandering where we shouldn't be."

Holly tucked her hair behind her ear and folded her arms across her chest in an attempt to make herself smaller. "Not to mention, you tore the door open!"

"I didn't tear it open," Steve corrected as he pointed in front of him. "I _pushed _it aside. Now hush up."

The two moved into down the platform, leading them to a second corridor that branched off from the main walkway. The same silver crates were arranged neatly in the space except the fact that they were slightly bigger than the ones on the lower floor.

Steve walked towards two of the crates and promptly ripped off the latches securing them shut with their locks still intact.

"You tore those for sure." Holly pointed out, earning herself a grin from the super-soldier. She huddled closer to Steve as he lifted the covers open, revealing the contents that glowed eerily under the dim light.

Holly peered into the crate and frowned. There, lying on a bed of dry stuffing was what looked to be a dark fitted outfit for a single soldier. There was a gas mask, a red and navy undershirt for the suit lying beside it, a grappling hook, two guns and a hefty weapon that reminded Holly a lot of a military bazooka.

She stole a glance at the man beside her and was even more flummoxed at the look of absolute scorn directed towards the objects. The amount of revulsion in his expression twisted his boyish features, and for the first time since she had met him, Holly could finally see the 1940's leader Steve had been and still was.

This was not a man who was lost in time and had lost all that he knew and treasured when he woke up from a supposed sleep.

This was a man that had seen some horrible things. Things that had caused him to lose a great deal and of which he never wanted anyone to go through.

"What _are_ these?" Holly asked, the beginnings of a bad vibe twisting up her spine. Her finger trailed over the strange, foreign insignia of a skull with six octopus-like curling arms beneath it.

Steve let out a harsh breath and turned towards her. His stormy ocean eyes shone with unbridled vehemence.

"HYDRA."

* * *

Hi guys! Yes, I went back to using 'Hope for the Hopeless' as the story title again. I'm such a fickle minded person, it's not even funny anymore.

So I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I enjoyed writing it :) I had to go back and rewatch The Avengers to get the script right and I ended up watching Captain America again.

Reviewers and readers who have added HftH to their alert/favourite lists, thank you! And especially to **blown-transistor **for correcting me on the 'Galaga' mistake. I'm so glad none of you abandoned this story like I did and I'm incredibly encouraged by your kind words and support. I'd love to read more comments/thoughts/criticisms from you guys because I love hearing what you guys have to say about this story/me/my writing/captain america/cap's ass/coulson and his powdered donuts/ANYTHING! So feel free to drop me a message about anything :)

Lastly, the poll on my profile page's still up! I'll be closing it when I'm done with the next chapter, so do go vote vote vote right now!

Till next time,_  
xo thekindlyones_


	12. Potential Threats

**Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Twelve: Potential Threats_

* * *

Holly hurried alongside Steve, her steps nervous and light as compared to the man's heavy, burdened footfalls. The hefty HYDRA weapon was held tightly in Steve's white-knuckled grip and it swung with every step they took towards the laboratory.

Following their discoveries in the secure storage, Steve had promptly snatched up one of the weapons before stalking out of the place like a man on a mission. A deep frown found permanent home on his forehead and his lips were set in a grim line, even as he gave Holly the briefest summary of HYDRA and the war he had been involved in.

Her eyes flicked from Steve down towards the weapon. HYDRA's skull logo flashed under the helicarrier's harsh light, looking far more imposing now that she knew what the power hungry organization was all about – world domination through extreme means. A weighted dread pooled in the pit of her gut.

Did that mean S.H.I.E.L.D was planning to take after HYDRA's mission following their downfall?

'_But Uncle Phil works in S.H.I.E.L.D. He would never dabble in the dark side. ' _She mused, biting her lower lip in worry. '_Then__ again, he never did tell me anything regarding his job.'_

Sure, Holly might not like the organization and its leader, but that does not mean she wasn't in the least bit interested. Coulson never told her much about his job – the most being when he asked Holly for her help in the Tesseract – and it always made it seemed as if he doing something shady for the division.

Holly bent her head low in an attempt to avoid the unwavering and curious stares from the agents they had passed and let out a deep, shuddering sigh.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

She wasn't supposed to uncover some deep, dark secret pertaining to what she had always thought to be an honest and upright law enforcing division famed for counteracting many situations when terrorists threatened the people. She wasn't supposed to be pulled into this _chaos _involving a glowing blue cube that had the power to destroy the entire planet, figures from what she had believed to be legends and being carted around in a gargantuan metal box that could vanish at a single command of its single-eyed director.

She was supposed to be normal.

_Common. Ordinary. Non-special._

Doing things like every other average human being.

Holly liked normalcy – it meant that she could have a peaceful, quiet and uninterrupted life.

"Steve… Perhaps – perhaps Fury's just… safekeeping these things." She couldn't believe she was actually speaking up for the man. But as compared to letting her mind run wild with absurd ideas about how S.H.I.E.L.D could just be one big terrorist agency hiding under the cover of their peacekeeping façade, she would rather cling onto the blind belief that her uncle would never turn towards terroristic forces. "Maybe he isn't really using the –"

Holly stopped short at the look of disbelief Steve sent her as the two came to an immediate halt in the middle of the corridor, right outside the laboratory. Fury was in the room alongside Banner and Stark, and by the look on his face, it was clear the latter had done something he shouldn't have again.

"These weapons should not even be retained, Holly. Even if it's for _safekeeping_, which makes no sense at all." Steve bit out angrily, although he did calm down a little at the startled look in Holly's eyes. "I gave up my life to destroy HYDRA." He shook his head forlornly and let out a deep sigh. "The seventy years – I did not waste my life just so I can see these darned weapons be put into use again."

With that, he strode into the room just as Stark's computer beeped sharply. The inventor raised his brows in mock interest and looked up at Fury.

"What _is _Phase 2?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

Steve flung the weapon unceremoniously onto one of the lab benches, causing a loud clang to echo through the room, effectively capturing the full attention of the three men. Holly cringed from beside him as her mind drifted to the amount of trouble she was going to put Coulson in.

"Phase 2 is S.H.I.E.L.D uses the cube to make weapons." The soldier declared, shifting his glare from Fury to Stark and Banner. "Sorry, the computer was running a little slow for me."

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract." Fury explained in an even tone as he moved towards the weapon. "That does not mean that we –"

"I'm sorry, Nick!" Stark hopped down from his perch on the table and swiveled the transparent computer screen towards the dark skinned man. There on the glass, clear as day, was a detailed schematic of a nuclear missile utilizing energy from the Tesseract. "_What_ were you lying?"

Steve smiled grimly. "I was wrong, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit."

Banner turned towards Agent Romanoff who had entered the laboratory with Thor beside her. His brown eyes hardened. "Did you know about this?"

The redhead pursed her painted lips and regarded him carefully. "You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?"

Banner let out a forced chuckle at her suggestion. "I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed."

"Loki is manipulating you." Romanoff said, nearing the volatile man with a hard gaze in her calculating green eyes.

"And you've been doing _what_ exactly?"

"You didn't come because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"Yes and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. " Banner countered. He gestured towards the screen, flicking his hardened gaze between Fury and Romanoff. "I'd like to know why S.H.I.E.L.D is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction.

"Because of him." Fury sneered, pointing at Thor with a single, accusing finger.

The Asgardian frowned and straightened himself to his full height. "Me?"

"Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet that had a grudge match that _leveled _a small town." He explained, taking a step closer to Banner. "We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly and _hilariously_ outgunned."

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet." Thor defended.

Holly's brows raised against her will at his prideful comment, noticing immediately, the big flaw that he had failed to point out. Had he already forgotten about the rouge Asgardian that was now locked in a cage made for the Hulk on the lowest level of the helicarrier? His adopted brother? The one with the magic wand and creepy laughter?

"But you're not the only people out there, are you?" Fury retorted. "And you're not the only threat. The world is filling up with people that can't be matched. That can't be controlled."

"Like you controlled the cube?" Steve scoffed.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drove Loki to it." Thor pointed out fiercely, muscles tensed from the accusations Fury was hurling his way. "_And _his allies. It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war."

"A higher form?" Steve bit out in disbelief.

"You forced our hand. We had to come up with somethi –"

"A nuclear deterrent." Stark cut in with a biting flatness in his words. "Because that always calms everything down, right?"

Fury turned towards him with unbridled annoyance etched in his gruff features. It seemed Tony Stark possessed the ability to piss at least one person off whenever he opened his mouth to speak. "Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?"

"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck deep in –"

"Wait, wait. Hold on." Stark interrupted Steve, fixing him up with an angered glare. "How is this now about me?"

"I'm sorry, isn't _everything_?" The super-soldier bit back. His normally amiable voice was now dripping in unabashed spite. Holly looked between the bickering two in worry. All she wanted to do now was to race out of the door and leave all of them behind. The regret that had always been present in her head since accepting Coulson's request for help bubbled up furiously.

'_Should have taken up Phil's suggestion of hiding in Ireland.'_ She thought bitterly.

Thor let out a sneer that failed to hide his disgust at the division's director. "I thought humans were more evolved than this."

"Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury rebutted, turning back towards the Asgardian.

It was as though Thor's words were a fuse to an unseen dynamite in the room and Fury's reply was the spark that lit it. Arguments broke out within seconds, and the silence was torn apart by a myriad of disarrayed words and sharp insults.

Fury and Thor continued hurling offensive comments about each other's lands while Stark and Steve were now almost chest-to-chest in their verbal argument. Banner and Romanoff stood off to the side, throwing in snide comments every now and then when they deemed fit.

And Holly?

The young woman just stood silently in her spot and watched balefully as the six of them fought hard to be heard over one another's voices. She let out a helpless sigh and contemplated calling Coulson. She was absolutely sure that the agent was the only one who could stop the disagreements with a simple word and sit all six of them down in a circle as they talked their unhappiness out in a calm and orderly manner.

"Are you boys really that naïve?" Romanoff asked, staring up at Thor. "S.H.I.E.L.D monitors potential threats."

"Captain America is on the threat watch list?" Banner laughed.

"We _all _are."

Stark tore away from his argument with Steve regarding the latter's suit and raised his eyebrows at the red haired agent's calm affirmation.

"Oh? Is Little Miss Holly on that list too?" he asked, gesturing towards the silent brunette with a casual wave of his arm. "What with her ability to absorb and manipulate energy?"

The room fell silent at the billionaire's words. Thor, Banner and Steve turned towards Holly in unified confusion and mild surprise. It seemed as though they had forgotten the nurse was in the room with them.

"What?"

Holly gapped at the sudden attention on her and the thick silence accompanying it. She cut a glance towards Fury, who for the first time had an expression of stunned surprise at Stark's words.

The billionaire smirked and stalked back to his computer screen. He tapped a few buttons on it and pulled up a folder with about a dozen files in them. Holly's eyes trailed over the rows of files, recognizing some of the names as the ones who were currently with her in the midst.

She stopped short and drew a quick and sharp breath however, when her eyes landed on her own name under the file beside Romanoff's.

"See, Nick, if you want to keep your important files safe and out of reach from anyone, I'd suggest firing your current security technician." Stark remarked lightly as he turned to regard the fuming man. "I mean, he's obviously not doing his job right if I could gain access to your files within _half _an hour, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about Stark?" Steve demanded. "What is it about Holly?"

"Give me a minute, Gramps. I'm getting to the fun part."

Stark pushed the thin device back such that it was in clear, unobstructed view from everyone then proceeded to tap the file with Holly's name labeling it. The computer extracted numerous documents and images began to pop up on the screen. The first to flash across the screen were official copies of Holly's birth certificate, driving license and identification card, followed by every other papers detailing her life – her degree in Biochemistry, nursing credentials, past hospital records and even detailed itineraries for her past vacations abroad and around the country.

Everything you needed to know about the young woman in details were stored in the single folder.

The colour drained from Holly's face and a wave of nausea hit her.

"What the hell?" She muttered and could only watch in fearful dread as her entire life was laid out in front of everyone.

"After JARVIS helped me to break into S.H.I.E.L.D's secondary leveled encrypted files, I came across this folder of names. I assume these are the people S.H.I.E.L.D feels threatened by." Stark remarked. "_I_ am one of them, of course." He added with a smug smirk. "I mean even I would feel threatened if I knew me – all rich and smart and charming me."

"_Stark_." Steve bit out, taking a step towards the man.

Stark let out an exaggerated gasp and took a step back. "That's a threat! I feel threatened!"

"Hey! Stop it." Banner cut in. "Tony, get on with it."

"Bossy. Who knew?" Stark commented and turned back to the screen. "So _anyway_, after I was granted access into these files, I came across one with our lovely little nurse's name on it. And I was well, curious. Because why would a mere medical attendant require such a heavily encrypted file for herself, locked in a folder alongside people who've caught S.H.I.E.L.D's attention, right? So I did a little more hacking here and there and boy, it must be hard keeping everything a secret, isn't it sweetheart?"

Holly could only stare up into Stark's accusing eyes and take the bluntness of his acidic words in silence. Her lips parted to say something, _anything, _but her tongue – thick and dry in her mouth – refrained her from doing wanted so badly to tell Stark to keep his mouth shut; to scream at Fury for being stupid enough to let Stark, a technological genius, the chance to hack into his files.

She wanted to run and hide, and she hated feeling like a coward.

Romanoff glanced at the young woman's distraught expression and turned to the infuriating man with a hard glare.

"Mr. Stark, you do not have the righ –"

"_Alright_, let's see…" Stark said, ignoring the redhead promptly as he pulled up an official document with S.H.I.E.L.D's logo adorning the top of the page. "Holly Grace Fairchild, born February 28th 1988, to Robert and Helene Fairchild, both of whom were high-ranking senior scientists working under S.H.I.E.L.D. The two were heavily involved in Project L.I.F.E where they created the – _ahh, there you go_ – super mutant serum. The serum alters and increases the human DNA of energy absorption and manipulation by a trillion fold, thus enabling the user the ability to transform energy into whatever form he or she desires."

He turned towards Holly with a blank expression. "The only known recipient of this serum is Holly Fairchild."

Silence, heavy and suffocating, blanketed the room after Stark was done talking. Holly couldn't bear to meet the accusing glares she could feel were aimed at her and instead, settled for staring at the ground in defeat.

"You injected her with the serum so you could _use_ her as a weapon?"

Holly eyes snapped up to look at Steve upon hearing the words that were hissed out into the tensed air. She half expected to see him glaring at her in betrayal and disgust, only to find that his look of contempt was directed fully at Fury.

She blinked in surprise, but recovered when the soldier took a step towards the agency's director, his body tensed in apparent rage.

"He didn't inject me." She spoke up quietly, garnering the attention of everyone in the room. "He didn't – it wasn't –" She sighed and went back to staring at the ground once more. She wasn't used to explaining her situation to others since there was no need for her to as nobody but Coulson, Fury (and she assumed Romanoff, at the lack of surprise from her) knew about it.

Until now, that is.

"It was an accident. The serum spilled on me because I was an overly curious child." Holly took a deep, shaky breath and met Steve's eyes – stormy and blue they were.

"Why did you lie?" Banner asked.

"I didn't _lie_." Holly bit back indignantly but relaxed when she saw that the scientist meant no offence. "I just… didn't mention anything."

"Well, not mentioning anything and pretending to be a harmless, innocent little nurse constitutes to lying in my books." Stark remarked with a careless shrug. "Pretending, lying; same difference."

Fury threw Stark a withering glare. "Miss Fairchild was ordered not to reveal her abilities. Her powers _will_ become a threat to the world should she fall into the wrong hands."

"I am not a _threat_." Holly bit out venomously, folding her arms tightly across her chest. Her eyes darkened in obvious dislike for the director even though he had spoken up for her in a way. "I'd never use them to hurt people! _You _were the one who asked to use my abilities for this debacle, Director Fury."

"You say you're not a threat, but we wouldn't know that for sure now, would we? Who knows what could happen if malicious forces get their hands on you? Perhaps, they could take your blood and redevelop the components of the serum for their own armies." Fury remarked lightly, taking a step towards her. "Or they could capture you, torture you and break your mind. Make you forget everything and everyone you know and hold dear so that you're nothing but an emotionless and empty _killing _machine. The limits of your abilities are unmeasured and unknown to us Miss Fairchild; we do not know the amount of destruction you cando. Therefore, you _are_ a threat, no matter how much you think you aren't."

"I would never… the –" Holly stammered and shrunk back in slight apprehension at the dark glare burning into her form. She looked down at her feet, gathered her wits about her and was about to counter Fury's words when a sturdy back clad in a cerulean blue suit greeted her eyes.

Steve was now standing between her and Fury, blocking her slight frame from the latter's sight. His blue eyes silently dared the director to take another step or say another word towards her, to which Fury challenged with a glower of his own.

"You see what you're doing, director?" Banner asked, waving a hand at Holly. "You're playing with fire. First you created the mutant serum, turning Holly from a normal girl to a threat as you so called it. Then you decided to use the Tesseract. Look what good that has done for you."

"We have everything under control –"

"You speak of control, yet you court chaos." Thor pointed out.

"It's his M.O., isn't it?" Banner added. "I mean what are we, a team? No, no, no. We're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're…" He fidgeted, taking glances at everyone in the room. "We're a time-bomb."

Fury stepped towards him. "_You_ need to step away."

"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Stark asked, clapping a hand onto Steve's shoulder.

The soldier slapped it off immediately and sneered at him in response. "You know damn well why! Back off!"

"Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me."

Steve chuckled darkly. "Big man in a suit of armour. Take that off, what are you?"

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist." Stark returned smoothly with a shrug.

"Stop it." Holly piped up, putting a hand each on both Steve and Stark's hand, only to have them brush her off in unison.

"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you." Steve spat in return. His blue eyes bored into Stark's with a deep fire. "I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."

"I think I'd just cut the wire." The billionaire retorted.

Steve chuckled once more. "Always a way out. You know, you may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero."

"A hero? Like you?" Stark leveled Steve's glare with one of his own. "You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers." He took a step closer to the soldier, leveling his glare. "Everything special about you came out of a _bottle_."

"Put on the suit." Steve challenged him. "Let's go a few rounds."

Thor laughed heartily at their meaningless squabble. "You people are so petty." He remarked and flicked his eyes towards Holly who was staring up at the bickering men in disbelief. "And _tiny_."

"Hey!"

"Yeah, this is a team."

Fury looked back at Banner at his sarcastic comment. "Agent Romanoff, would you escort Dr. Banner back to his –"

"_Where?_" Banner retorted as his expression grew tensed. "You rented my room."

"The cell was just in –"

"In case you needed to kill me. But you can't. _I know, I tried_." The scientist cut in. The group appeared stunned at his sudden admission while he tried to find words to explain himself.

"I got low." He continued, folding his arms across his chest tightly. Troubled brown eyes scanned the occupants of the room in skittish glances. "I didn't see an end, so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy _spit _it out. So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk."

He turned to Romanoff with an expression like that of a furious caged animal and planted his hand on the bench behind him, reaching out for the scepter. "You want to know my secret, Agent Romanoff? You want to know how I stay calm?"

Holly let out a soft gasp when Banner gripped the scepter tightly in his hand and removed it from the wired contraption it had been resting on. Almost immediately, Steve used his body to block her off again as a hand reached up to hold onto her arm in a gentle but protective grip. Both Fury and Romanoff reached for the weapons clasped tightly to their thighs while Stark took two steps towards the agitated man.

"Dr. Banner," Steve called out carefully, alert eyes never straying from the scientist's tensed, trembling form. His hand tightened on Holly's arm. "Put down the scepter."

Banner looked down at his hand and stared in silent shock at the glowing weapon. He looked back up at the others, nervous eyes flickering between each of them until one of the computers in the room let out a loud beeping noise.

"Got it," Stark said just as Banner place the scepter back onto the workbench and strode towards the device.

"Sorry kids," He mumbled, eyes rooted to the ground. "Looks like you won't get to see my party trick after all."

The laboratory sank into another round of verbal disorder as Thor demanded for the Tesseract to be brought back to Asgard, much to Fury's ardent disapproval. Stark volunteered to go retrieve the cube but was pulled into the circle of angered words with the Asgardian, Fury and Romanoff.

"Are you okay?" Steve murmured lowly and looked down at the quiet woman beside him in concern. His hand loosened their hold on her arm and slid down her soft skin, coming to a stop at her wrist.

A delightful chill ran up the length of her spine at the raw feeling of Steve's calloused but gentle touch burning a path down her arm. She could feel the red flush creeping up the length of her neck and blossoming across her fair cheeks at the fact that the soldier did not relinquish his protective hold on her hand and instead only held onto her tighter.

Holly took a shuddering breath and nodded, forcing down the imaginary stone stuck in her throat. "I'm alrig –"

A deafening blast cut her words short and took everyone in the room flying off their feet.

And all Holly could feel right after she hit solid ground was heat – pure, white-hot, fiery heat.

* * *

So, chapter 12 on 12th December 2012. (UCWIDT?)

We're finally, finally, **FINALLY** getting to the meat of the story. Everything else before was just the appetizers haha (I took my damned time, didn't I?)

So I hope you enjoy this chapter. Everything will be revealed soon. I'd really, honestly LOVE to hear from you guys.  
Silent readers, do drop me a little something, okay? I wanna know what you all think about this story.

To my regular reviewers! Thank you all! For the encouragements, sweet messages and helpful reminders on my mistakes. I love and appreciate all of you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Till next time, _xo thekindlyones_


	13. Interlude II

_**Hope for the Hopeless**_

_Chapter Thirteen: Interlude II_

* * *

**Wednesday, March 20****th**** 1996, Fairchild Penthouse**

The little brunette girl fastened the thick and sturdy elbow and knee guard pads onto her thin, knobby limbs carefully after tearing the Velcro strip on and off thrice before she was satisfied with the result. She grinned broadly in self-accomplishment, having only watched her Uncle Phil put it on for her once and yet somehow still managed to do so all by herself.

Holly Fairchild was determined to finally learn how to ride a bicycle today.

It had been put off far too long for the vivacious seven-year-old. She had wanted to take a ride on the baby blue two-wheeler – for her own pride, she decided to ignore the existence of the two tiny and somewhat negligible trainer wheels attached to her back tire completely – the moment she had unwrapped it on her birthday two weeks prior, but her parents had dragged her off to the table where her cake was waiting to be cut before she had a chance to climb onto the little leather seat.

As a result of her adolescent impatience, Holly bugged them to let her get started on the bicycle, bringing up the topic of the untouched toy every chance she had – over breakfast and dinner, popping up around every corner of the house when Helene or Robert Fairchild decided to take a break from their work or at the end of her bedtime story, just before Robert turned her night lights off.

But each time she asked, she was rejected, for her father had yet to purchase a set of protective guards for her and her mother was adamant on the rule that she needed them before she would even allow her little girl near the storage room.

Although she was young, naïve and had a problem with keeping her attention on things sometimes, Holly wasn't dim-witted. She wasn't stupid like what her older sister, Jessica, often said she was (among many other things, of course).

Holly observes things. She notices situations when her parents thought storybooks and drawings occupied her and tucked these little actions and information away in her head to be analyzed later. She always felt like a detective when she sat on her bed and stew them over later – like the blue spotted dog on her favourite television show Blue Clues, where it had helped its owner, Steve, solve many puzzles.

The little girl knew the reason her parents gave her were an excuse for something else – Mr and Mrs Fairchild's inability to take the time off their work to indulge her in her little activity. Holly could see how busy and occupied with work they had become in recent months, how they were always home late and how they could barely take the time off to throw her a birthday party.

But Holly was okay with it, because the brand new bicycle more than made up for their lack of attention.

The little girl appraised herself in the full-length mirror and nodded as the satisfied smile on her face stretched wider.

She was ready. Holly had her brand new bicycle waiting for her in the storage room under the stairs, the sturdy protective guards she had begged Uncle Phil to get her were cinched tightly on her knees and elbows and she knew for a fact that both her parents were home and had no plans made for the rest of the day.

There would be no more excuses today.

With another proud nod, the little girl grabbed the blue helmet off of her bed and ran for the door, her bare feet making hurried pitter-pattering on the shiny marble floor.

"Mommy!" She called out as she dashed out of her room and bounded down the hallway towards the living room. "Daddy!"

"What? What happened?"

A set of footsteps joined hers as Helene Fairchild appeared down the hallway, clad in a dirtied apron that had what looked to be flour sprinkled across the dark fabric and a dough crusted rolling pin held tightly in one hand. Her long blonde hair was thrown up into a messy bun on the top of her head and she had a look of pure concern etched in her graceful features.

Holly ran towards her mother and stopped just in front of her, eyeing the rolling pin with a curious look before shrugging.

"Is everything okay?" Helene asked, studying her daughter carefully for any signs of injury. "Did you get hurt?"

"I'm not!" Holly remarked excitedly. She stretched her arms out; showing off the guards strapped onto her elbows and the helmet in her hand to her mother and grinned. "I can't be hurt, see. I'm all safe."

Helene breathed out a sigh of relief and chuckled lightly as she took in Holly's assemble. "Sweetheart, what's all these? Where did you get these things?"

"Uncle Phil bought them for me." Holly replied. "He taught me how to wear them and I did it all by myself!"

"Why did – ah, your bicycle." Helene nodded, a look of understanding creeping onto her face. She shook her head in amusement and laughed, remembering how the bicycle was the only thing Holly talked about the past two weeks. "Of course. How could I forget?"

Holly nodded fervently and wrapped her thin arms around Helene's hip. She propped her chin on her mother's slightly rounded stomach and pouted. "Can I start riding it today, Mama?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Helene said with a knowing grin. Holly only ever called her 'Mama' when she wanted something. "I'm making cookies and your dad might be busy."

"Please, Mommy!" Holly beseeched as her arms tightened around her mother. "I've got the guards strapped on. You can bake the cookies later and I know Daddy's free. Please, Mommy. Please, please, please, please, plea –"

"Alright, alright!" Helene relented and bent to drop a kiss on the little girl's chocolathe tresses when she let out an excited squeal. "Go find your father and we'll take you down to the garden, you persistent bug."

Holly let out another squeal and ran towards the stairs despite her mother's best efforts to tell her not to run in case she hurt herself. She bounded up the steps quickly and immediately veered towards the study once she reached the landing.

The study was the only room on the second storey of the Fairchild penthouse. It was a large, spacious room; a little more than half the size of the living room – and was all designed and decorated by Robert alone. One side of the wall was lined with five grandiose ceiling to floor windows that opened out to a majestic view of New York's sprawling cityscape while the adjacent wall had three architectural recesses built into it, the decoration of each differing greatly from the other due to the nature of the family members occupying the alcoves.

There were also four heavyset study tables spread out in the space such that it looked as if the study was split into four unmarked boundaries, accompanied by the three bookcases that were filled to the brim with hard-cover science texts, paperback novels, a few knick knacks, decorative items and awards placed in random spots and the occasional children drawings that were taped to the sides.

"Daddy?" Holly called out as she walked into the room quietly, not wanting to cause any loud noises in case she interrupted her father and his usual train of thoughts. She did it once and was given a harsh telling off by Robert for 'disrupting the peace and quiet in a sacred place'.

The little girl moved deeper into the room, knowing her father was somewhere inside from the computer running on his desk and how his table lamp was switched on.

"Daddy, it's Holly." She called out once more and frowned when nothing but silence greeted her.

Annoyance bubbled up inside her furiously. Holly was sorely tempted to start throwing things around and stamping her feet and drawing aliens on every paper on her father's desk.

She could feel the painful sting in her eyes as angry tears welled up in them. Her father was supposed to be free. But it looked as if he was busy with work. Again. Huffing, the little girl folded her arms across her chest tightly. With a deep breath, she parted her lips and yelled.

"Daddy!"

No, she no longer cared if she was causing a ruckus and disturbing her father anymore. Holly was going to get what she wanted today, and she wanted to cycle so that's what she's going to do.

A short but sharp beep from the alcoves broke the silence and captured Holly's immediate attention. She walked towards the recesses and jumped when another beep sounded loud and clear from the biggest alcove belonging to her parents. She stopped in her tracks, however, when her eyes caught sight of a sliver of light streaming from beside the alcove.

Curious, Holly deviated towards the wall, stopping when a gap – almost large enough for her to slip through but too small for someone any bigger to pass – greeted her.

Holly let out a gasp of amazement as she studied the small entrance. She had never once seen it before. Her mind drifted back to all the stories her father had read to her about the secret rooms of ancient castles and troves of treasure that could be found inside.

With a rush of excitement coursing through her, Holly placed her little hands on the edge of the gap and pushed, gasping once more when the wall gave way under the effort. The thought of riding her new bicycle was thrown to the back of her mind, forgotten completely as the notion of treasure seeking encompassed her imagination. Her helmet lay forgotten on the study table and she entered the small entrance, arriving into another room that was quite unlike the study.

Holly stood rooted at the entrance as she took in the new environment with enchanted eyes.

Strange machinery and computers littered the chrome tables lining three sides of the walls, all creating a multitude of clinical noises – some beeping, some hissing while others merely clicked in a repetitive motion. There was a heavy-set cabinet housing various glass bottles containing multi-coloured liquids, some bubbling gently while others remained still. Holly moved slowly towards one of the glass box that accommodated a single red jagged rock in it, which upon close inspection, was actually tumbling in mid air, held suspended by invisible bonds.

The curt beep rang out once more, coming from somewhere behind Holly before she could reach out and shake the box. She swiveled around, dark hair glistening under clinical white light as the young child studied the lone container placed right in the middle of the room. Thick wires and pipes connected the suspending transparent cylinder to the ceiling and the floor, which stretched and coiled towards a computer at the far side of the room.

A small red light blinked consistently on the black box stuck onto the side of the glass and she could hear a deep humming emanating from the strange contraption. Holly moved closer, propelled by innocent eagerness, and ignored the voice (that sounded oddly like Jessica) warning her to stay away from the device.

She would have heeded the advice of the disembodied voice if she weren't so taken by the lone object resting in the cylinder.

All Holly could see was the slim glass vial resting on the sleek metal stand in the middle of the glass pod. Her green eyes widened in awe at the thick pearly elixir sloshing about in the phial despite its still position, moving and coiling like it possessed a life of its own. The liquid glistened and glowed and sparkled beautifully as it swirled against its glass prison, reflecting a multitude of colours that only served to feed Holly's unwavering interest.

_'This must be the treasure,' _she thought, enraptured by the stunning display of colours.

A sudden thought of holding the vial in her hand and observing it up close slipped into her head, prompting her to push herself up on her toes and reach a pale, skinny arm out towards the stand. The cylinder was suspended at a height that was far beyond Holly's short height and so, she had to place a hand on the base of it to secure her stumbling body as she stretched herself further in an attempt to reach the glass vial.

Her fingers brushed against the cool surface of the glass before they wrapped themselves around the slim, smooth vial just as footsteps thundered from behind her, followed by loud, panicked calls of her name.

"No! Holly! Don't touch that!"

The terror-stricken call from Helene and Robert were lost on the child, however, for she was startled by the loud commotion and had inevitably released her hold on the vial in surprise.

The fragile glass shattered into pieces of crystalline fragments over Holly's head, sending the adults into a fearful frenzy as they rushed towards their young daughter; Helene sobbing and shouting words of hysterics while Robert struggled to wipe the fluid with a piece of paper from his desk.

All Holly could do was feel the freezing liquid morph into a trail of white-hot fire that trickled down her face and crawled along her pale skin, spreading out towards the rest of her body.

Holly's bicycle remained untouched in the storage cabinet under the stairs.

* * *

Merry Christmas everyone! Ahh it's my favourite time of the year again :) how were all of your holidays? Good or good? I had so much turkey and cake and my grandmama's special cranberry and eggnog cheesecake I feel as if I had the dinner for Christmas next year too.

Anyways, I had this snippet written long before I started the story and I thought it'd be nice for you guys to read it even though it's just a whole chapter-full of filler. You know what comes next after this. Heh heh. Don't worry, I won't let you guys wait too long for it. It'll be up in a day or two at most!

Loving all your reviews people! Keep writing in to me! I absolutely ADORE reading what you guys think :)

Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day everyone!  
_thekindlyones_


	14. Bubble

**Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Fourteen: Bubble_

* * *

The first thing Steve registered after he went crashing into one of the metal cabinets and landing on the floor hard was the sharp ringing in his ears. It was an annoying noise from the aftermath of the blast that bugged him greatly and which caused his head to pound and throb a hard and angry rhythm.

The next thing he noticed – or heard, rather – was the whimpering from the warm body trapped underneath him, which was now struggling to get away from the blunt weight of Steve's bulky frame. The super-soldier muttered a quick apology and pushed himself off and stood up, holding a strong hand out to help the poor figure up.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" He asked quickly. Steve's eyes, stinging from the thick smoke billowing engulfing the laboratory, trailed carefully along the petite form, looking for any signs of injury. He was distracted from getting an answer when he turned to help Stark up, the latter groaning as he shook his head to clear the abhorrent ringing from his head.

"You alright?" He asked, the animosity from their earlier brawl forgotten over the shared predicament of the helicarrier.

Stark nodded and slapped his palm against his temple a couple of times, grabbing hold of the wall just when the aircraft groaned and lurched sharply to the side. Alarms blared overhead, mixed with the jumble of mechanical announcements of security breach and instructing all agents to their stations. Agents could be seen rushing down the corridor from all directions, some already with their weapons drawn and held in a combative position while others were yelling orders at their passing comrades over the din.

"Holly!" Steve turned back then, taking notice of the silence from the nurse. His hands grasped her upper arms tightly and gave it a firm shake. "Are you hurt?"

Holly turned back towards Steve at the yell of his repeated question and shook her head. Her lips parted, only to let a choked sob out.

"Okay. It's okay. Come on, let's get you somewhere safe." He instructed calmly and turned back to Stark. "Put on your suit."

The disoriented billionaire nodded quickly and took a step forward, only to bounce back forcefully with a grunt. It was as though his body collided with an invisible wall that prevented him from getting out of the laboratory.

"What the?" He groused and tried again, but staggered back once more.

A tightly clenched fist shot out. Stark bit out a loud curse and his hand snapped back towards his chest from the raw pain of having hit something rock hard. He turned towards Steve with a confused look, mouth opened to ask what that was all about when he focused his attention on Holly instead.

Stark looked around them in sheer bewilderment. The fire burning feverishly around them _encircled_ the three, its scorching flames sizzling and scorching yet not touching them. At all.

Then, as if it had been there all along, they saw it.

Surrounding the three of them and adhering tightly to their forms, was a thing of some pearly and translucent material. It was almost negligible to the naked eye, and acted like a second skin that floated above their body. The shield was thin – almost transparent in nature, but it was there, solid and unyielding. It wavered and contorted, swirling and glowing in a combination of light and colour that prevented the blistering fire from touching them.

Stark looked towards Steve. The two shared a look before they turned to Holly who was now staring down at the large crater in the middle of the room where Romanoff and Banner had fallen through.

The super-soldier reached out a hand and clamped it onto the brunette's shoulder. He could feel her tremble through her crumpled blouse. Holly's head snapped back at the contact, her eyes staring into his, lost and frightened.

"We need to leave. Your shield…" Steve drifted off, eyeing the bubble of glimmering waves surrounding them pointedly.

Holly shook her head quickly. "You – you'll get burned. You'll die."

"Hey pretty nurse, c'mon. There's no time." Stark spoke up, slightly amused by her words. "Shut the bubble off."

Steve sighed and pushed the three of them out of the laboratory and into the frenzied mess of the hallway when Holly shook her head stubbornly. Red lights flickered above them and the emergency broadcasts and protocol commands sounded even louder to their already sensitive ears. A series of gunshots rang out at the end of the corridor just as Stark let out another muffled curse and pressed a hand against the earpiece he had been wearing, frowning at the orders he was receiving. Holly hugged her arms around herself and curled in, desperately wanting to make herself as small as possible. She wanted to hide away in a dark corner from the bedlam no matter how cowardly that sounded. She wasn't meant for situations like these anyway.

"Cap, get the girl to stop. The engine needs fixing or we're all going to drop to our deaths." Stark bellowed, fighting to be heard above the noise. "I'm not ready to die yet, okay?"

At the sound of this, Holly looked even more panic-stricken. Her already fair complexion had lost its rosy flush and right now she just looked petrified. Watery green eyes widened further, pupils dilated in fear. The bright emergency lamps highlighted the tears that trailed down her face steadfastly.

Steve was struck by how much of a child she resembled at the moment. Annoyance spiked in the super-soldier at the lack of tact in Stark's callous words and he scowled, ready to retort when another explosion shook the entire helicarrier.

"Christ's sake! Hurry up!" Stark yelled, further incensed by the newest blast.

Steve leveled his eyes with Holly and held onto her shoulders tightly, forcing her to focus her straying attention on him.

"Holly, listen. You're going to be all right. Okay? Everything's going to be fine." His voice, deep and gentle, assured the terrified young woman patiently. "What I want you to do is to let Stark and I out. We need to fix the plane or everyone will be in danger. Do you understand me?" He asked, receiving a whimper and a curt nod from Holly in response.

The nurse flicked her wrist lightly and immediately Steve could feel a deep chill rush through his body as the shield pull itself from sheltering him and Stark and tightened around Holly's body protectively.

"That was weird." Stark remarked after he let out a noise of distaste, shuddering from the peculiar sensation of having the shield surge through him. Then, he turned to look at Steve and nodded towards the corridor leading to the weaponry vault. "Engine Three. I'll meet you there."

With that, he took off, narrowly escaping from colliding with an agent lugging a crate and disappeared down another hallway. Steve looked back at Holly and smiled encouragingly.

"Now I want you to go down to the medical bay and stay there. Do your job as a nurse, help the injured." Steve continued and squeezed her shoulders reassuringly. "Stay there and don't leave no matter what. Put your shield up at any sign of combat, but keep it hidden otherwise. I'll come and get you when it's safe. Okay?"

Normally, Holly would have fought back vehemently against being ordered around and spoken to like a child, but right now all she could manage to do was try her best to quell the ugly tears down. Steve shouldn't have to baby her when there were obviously bigger issues that required his assistance. She inhaled deeply and gulped down the sob that was threatening to tear from her lips. Holly nodded her head instead, not trusting herself to be able to say anything without crying, although doing so caused the throbbing in her head to intensify.

"Good girl. Now go!" Steve ushered, pushing her down the corridor leading towards the medical bay stairwell. "Remember, only use your shield when necessary." Blue eyes blazed navy in silent determination as Steve grinned down at her.

"I'll see you later." He said and nudged her down the hallway once more. "Stay safe."

Before Holly could tell him the same, the super-soldier had already turned away from her and marched down the chaotic passageway with fast, purposeful strides. She heaved a shaky sigh and followed after as she hurried in the opposite direction, gasping and ducking instinctively whenever the sound of gunshots or clamorous explosions rang out. She had to hold onto the wall to prevent herself from falling flat on her face due to the helicarrier careening towards the side every now and then.

"_We have got a perimeter breach!"_

"_Hostiles are in S.H.I.E.L.D gear."_

"_The Hulk has lost control in the hangar. I repeat, The Hulk has lost control and is currently engaged in combat with Thor in Hangar Two. All agents are to vacate from the zone immediately."_

Holly cringed. As if things couldn't get any worst.

First, almost all of the helicarrier's engines were down – caused by malicious forces dressed like all the S.H.I.E.L.D agents running passed her, no less – and if Stark couldn't get at least one of them working again, the entire aircraft was going to freefall from the sky like an eagle being shot down by an AK-47.

Then, there came the news that Dr. Banner had lost control and The Hulk is currently tearing up the already ravaged aircraft like a deranged devil out of hell.

Holly could feel the desire to throw up rising from the pit of her gut dangerously.

She was now on the floor of the medical bay, passing by the various stretchers and gurneys being pushed towards the room when she felt a vibration on the back of her thigh. Holly pulled the cellphone – a slim black device specially designed to be used onboard the helicarrier – from the pocket of her jeans and accepted the call immediately when she saw the names flashing across the glass screen.

"Are you okay?" Holly asked hastily and stopped in her tracks when she saw the blood trails smeared against the walls.

"I'm fine. And you? Where are you?" Coulson's voice was wrought with quiet anxiety for the young woman.

Holly tore her eyes away from staring at the bloodied handprints on the wall and entered the sterile wards. A medley of tortured groans, pained screams and agitated voices calling out for syringes, anesthetics and bandages, fighting to be heard over one another, greeted her ears. She could only watch, her feet rooted on the medical bay's linoleum floor, as the pandemonium of blood, bones and exposed flesh swallowed the peace and quiet of the once uneventful place.

"Holly! For god's sake, answer me!" Coulson's voice snapped.

The young woman snapped out of her stupor and focused on the voice yelling through the phone. She gulped and nodded even though Coulson was nowhere near her to see it.

"I'm okay." She said, keeping the phone balanced between her ear and shoulder as she gathered her hair up into a ponytail. "I'm okay. I'm at the medical bay now." She paused. "What's going on, Uncle Phil? What's happening?"

"Loki. He planned everything – the capture and now his escape." Holly could hear a faint mechanical beep and the sterile hiss from Coulson's side of the call. She assumed he was on his way to the storage vaults she and Steve had broken into earlier. "I want you to stay in the medical bay. Don't hesitate to use your gun and shield when the situation calls for it, do you understand? Remember, safety off, aim, exhale and squeeze –"

"Um, about that…" Holly cut in at the mention of the weapon currently tucked away in her bedside drawer. "It's not with me."

There was a pause, then, "What do you mean it's not with you?"

"The gun. It's uh, it's not with me. It's in my room." Holly replied, cringing at the deadly calmness in Coulson's voice. Having grown up with the man, she knew that particular tone never meant well.

It was the calm before the storm, figuratively speaking.

"Goddamnit, Holly!" The young woman cringed and pulled the phone away from her ear at the agent's furious outburst. "I told you to keep it with you at all times!"

"I need some help over here!" One of S.H.I.E.L.D's attending doctors, the youngest looking one out of all the rest, waved his free hand in the air frantically to draw some attention to his gurney amidst the confusion. An agent, dressed in the typical S.H.I.E.L.D garb twitched and jerked on the gurney, fighting against the straps that held his body down as a garble of pained screams and nonsensical words burst from his lips.

Holly ran up to him, ignoring Coulson's angry mutterings on the line, and threw the phone carelessly onto the spot on the gurney that wasn't wet with blood. Her eyes focused on the silver name badge clipped to his coat pocket, seeing the words _'Dr. G. Jackson, MD'_ embossed across the metallic surface.

Dr. Jackson was currently holding three fingers against the man's neck while his other hand tried to draw the morphine into the syringe. Blood flowed from under his hand freely, signaling how the man's carotid artery was most likely the affected area.

"Who are you?" He asked, looking up from what he was doing.

"Holly."

His grey eyes appraised her clothes dubiously. "Are you a qualified medical personnel?"

"Your patient's bleeding to death, doc. Do you want my help or not?" Holly bit back, rolling her eyes when Jackson nodded fervently and instructed her to apply pressure to the man's wound while he prepared the morphine. "I'm a nurse, don't worry."

Jackson glanced at her before he pulled his hand away. Bright red blood spurted from the gaping hole on the man's neck and onto Holly's white blouse, some splattering across her throat and the lower part of her face. The blood felt scorching hot against her cool skin as she scrambled to press her fingers against the man's wound, flinching slightly when she felt the throbbing of the life-giving fluid gushing out from his body.

She turned her attention back to the voice on the phone she had chucked on the bed and scowled. Coulson was now yelling for her to answer him while he continued on his rant.

"I'm sorry, Phil. But you were the one who told me nothing was going to happen on this stupid thing!" Holly retorted, the frustration of his endless tirade finally getting to her. The man let out a low groan and twitched harder than before. "You said the gun was a precaution and that it will most probably not be put to use at all. Since you assured that there was no need for me to use it, why would I bring it along wherever I go?"

"Precaution means you carry it with you! That's the point of it being a _precaution_." Coulson barked. "Damn it, Holly! The shield isn't going to be enough to protect you!"

"My shield is more than enough. I just… I hate the gun, okay? I _hate_ it. I don't like holding it or firing it or just looking at it. I never wanted to know how to shoot someone or take the stupid safety off." She retorted, the last shred of her patience and sanity snapping in two.

It's true. Holly never did like the fact that she knew how to use a gun. She only agreed to take the lessons from Coulson because of how enthusiastic the agent was about the idea of it. She couldn't bear to disappoint her uncle, knowing that he had always wanted to teach someone the trade of using a firearm.

Which was why Holly never told Coulson that.

But she was angry. And when people are angry, they say things they don't mean. Or maybe they did mean them, but they just never wanted to say it out loud lest it hurt somebody.

Holly was on a ball with that. "I never even wanted to come onboard this… this _thing_! But I still did anyway because I was _stupid_ and I _trusted_ you but I was wrong."

A loud beeping came from one of the machine the man was hooked up on and Holly turned her attention towards the blinking screen. The numbers to one of the readings were decreasing rapidly and that did not bode well for the man.

"Blood pressure is falling rapidly!"

Jackson, who had just withdrawn the syringe's needle from the agent's arm, nodded in response and pulled a tray of surgical instruments towards him. "He's got a shrapnel in his neck. I've got to take that out first before we can seal the hole completely. Keep applying pressure onto his neck, I'll be right back." He gestured and Holly's phone and smiled grimly. "You might want to get the person to call back later. It's going to get messy."

Holly flushed and apologized as Jackson hurried towards the drug storage. She tuned her attention back to the irate voice on the line again and sighed.

"I'm going to go make myself useful now, Uncle Phil." She said, cutting through Coulson's irate rant. "Lord knows there's nothing else I can do to help on this aircraft except to keep your agents alive."

"I want you to come find me." Coulson urged. "I'm in the storage vaults on Level Three. It'll be safer for you to tag along with me."

"I'm needed in the medical bay, Phil." Holly sighed. "That's it. I'll talk to you later."

Without waiting for a reply, she pulled the phone from her ear, ended the call and threw it carelessly onto the table. She then focused on the man lying before her.

"It's okay." Holly murmured shakily. The blood continued to gush from his neck with abandon and was dripping over the side of the gurney and all over her shoes. "You're going to be alright."

Holly did not know if she was trying to comfort the man or herself.

* * *

I was contemplating if I should lump the entire thing together, but it was way too long, so instead, I split them into two and uploaded this portion first.

Much hugs and love to the reviewers: **snicks, xxyangxx2006, Pyra Sanada, Emberscar, Mercede210,WhatsGoingOn, Itsgoose2u, Avalongirl55, Stinkysoxx** and **Light The Dark**

the new subscribers and the ones who are still sticking by this story :)

Till next time, _xo thekindlyones_


	15. The Dead Soldiers

**Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Fifteen: The Dead Soldiers_

* * *

Holly was wrong. Nothing was okay.

The patient – whom Holly and Dr. Jackson came to identify as Agent Marcus Wagner, a S.H.I.E.L.D computer technician with a wife and two kids waiting for him back in Queens – was dead. He had gone into cardiac arrest while Jackson was trying to remove the shrapnel in his neck and showed no response to the defibrillator Jackson was using to restart his heart desperately.

Holly could only watch as a white sheet was pulled over Wagner's face before he was pushed away to the morgue (yes, the helicarrier was that big that it even had a morgue in it), leaving a blood trail from the puddle pooled at her feet. She didn't want to think about what Wagner's family would go through once they've received the news that their father wasn't going home anymore. The mere thought of it sent uncomfortable chills down her spine, and Holly had to physically force herself to not follow the wisp of 'what if' that would inevitably lead to her putting herself in the Wagner family's shoes.

Instead, she cast her focus on the chaos raging around her.

The helicarrier had managed to be stabilized thanks to Stark, who managed to get Engine Three running again. But even though they were not in danger from the aircraft hurtling towards the ground, the assault was still going strong in parts of the monstrous aircraft.

Agents were still being pushed into the medical bay – some alive, some fighting to stay alive and some already long gone by paramedics who had been tasked with transporting the injured and the dead.

Around her, doctors and nurses were still trying to save their own patients frantically. There were just too many patients waiting for a too small medical team. Everyone was just yelling and screaming for help that Holly didn't know whom she was supposed to assist first.

"_Loki has escaped. Hostiles are leading him towards Pod 14." _Came the announcement over the system. _"Calling all agents to Pod 14._"

Holly blanched. Things were just going _super _for Fury now. She couldn't even begin to imagine the problems that would snowball from Loki's escape. It felt as though everything was lost to S.H.I.E.L.D already. There was nothing Fury could do, now that the God who had threatened to take over Earth had escaped his custody and the cube's location was still lost to them.

It was a lost battle.

So what were they still fighting for?

"Fairchild!" Holly's head snapped up at the bellow to see Dr. Conway staring at her in exasperation. She was vaguely reminded of how Dr. Adams had yelled at her the same way, and shuddered when the thought of seeing intestines flashed through her mind. "What the hell are you doing? These people aren't going to save themselves, you know? Get over here!"

Holly immediately nodded her head and rushed towards him just as the doors of the medical bay burst open for the umpteenth time that hour. Another agent was pushed into the wards with the help of two paramedics. One of them called out for Conway urgently while the other directed the gurney into the empty spot behind Holly and started hooking the ECG and blood pressure monitors to the patient.

"Finish the dressing." Conway ordered and turned away, leaving Holly to work on the agent. She smiled at the man, who looked a little too pale to be considered normal, reassuringly and began wrapping the laceration on his shoulder. The monotonous beeping behind her assured that the new patient behind her was alive, at least.

"Oh my god." Holly's ears perked at the quiet but less than composed exclamation from Conway. "Rundown, talk to me!"

"Stab wound to the chest. It's a through and through." The paramedic reported. "We believe the object might have nicked one of the major arteries. He coded once on the way here."

"Wakefield!" Conway bellowed. His baritone voice calling out for the chief nursing officer could be heard loud and clear over the din around them. "Vacate and prep the OR immediately. Get Dr. Jackson and Dr. Rhys in with me." He paused when Wakefield ran up to him and murmured something in a low voice. "I don't give a damn if they're busy or if their patients are dying! I want them in the OR _now_!"

Holly's eyes followed Wakefield as the older woman rushed up to Jackson and related Conway's orders to him.

"Is he always like that?" She paused, snapping her attention back to the man she was bandaging. Holly shrugged in response; having never worked with Conway closely before and therefore wasn't a fair person to judge his bedside manner. She was however, curious, to know what kind of damage the patient had incurred that could cause the seemingly austere and levelheaded chief attendant to be ruffled. The man must have been wounded badly enough for Conway to demand the operating room to be cleared specially for him.

"Well, that man must be fucked." The agent continued, saying aloud the thoughts Holly was thinking. "Either that or he's super important."

His careless assumption struck a nerve in Holly. Her hands stilled, frozen in mid-air, as she was about to reach out for the clip that would secure the bandage and she straightened slightly at the implication of the agent's words.

Worry and paranoia bubbled under her skin.

Her mind flashed back to when Coulson had told her SHIELD tracks the whereabouts of important people whilst onboard the helicarrier. Fury, Stark, Banner, Thor, Loki, Holly, Steve and Coulson were all on that list.

The last name caused dread to pool heavily in her gut.

Slowly, she turned her head, just a small fraction to the side, enough for her to appear as if she was still focused on helping her patient and peeped at the gurney beside her.

The man lying on the gurney was dressed in a sharply pressed black suit with a mandatory S.H.I.E.L.D agent badge clipped to his jacket pocket. The outfit ruled out the special recruits Stark, Banner, Thor, Steve and the leather trench coat wearing Fury, but that in itself meant that Coulson was the only possible one left.

At that thought, her whole body tensed. Holly's head snapped to the right quickly as her eyes sought out the face of the victim. A large oxygen mask covered the majority of the man's face, leaving only a pair of tightly shuteyes and a smooth forehead with a slightly receding hairline exposed. She looked down then, traveling across the expense of light blue fabric and stopped at the smooth plastic card.

A familiar smiling face peered up at her from the ID lying beside the stab wound that was coated with fresh sticky blood.

The bandage unraveled itself when Holly's hand lost its stable grip on it. There was a noise of protest from the agent she was helping with but she ignored him. Her attention, sight and hearing were all focused on the still body lying on the gurney.

Holly's nails dug painfully into the flesh of her palm; her eyes snapped down towards the patient's wrist. Praying and wishing and hoping desperately that she was wrong, that somehow, the situation was just getting to her and she was merely seeing things, that her mind was playing tricks on her.

But there was a glint of silver and a flash of pale gold. The watch sitting on the man's wrist confirmed everything she needed but never wanted to know.

"No," Holly moaned despairingly. She took a step, then two towards the gurney, staggering at the weightless feel in her legs. Hot tears blurred her vision while her heart thudded painfully in her chest. The paramedics' words rang clear in her head. "Oh god."

"Fairchild! What the hell –"

"That's Uncle Phil." She murmured, looking down at the body. "He – that's my uncle."

Conway and the two paramedics simply stared; obviously not knowing what to do. The chief attending surgeon opened his mouth to speak, to say something, to say _anything_ to reassure the young woman that Coulson was in safe hands when he was spoken for.

The erratic noise from the machines Coulson was hooked up on blared out and things morphed from a standstill into a frenzied mess. Jackson and Wakefield now joined Conway and they were now bustling around the bed, shouting off the readings and reporting the agent's condition.

"He's going into cardiac arrest!" Jackson noted as he started to cut open Coulson's shirt, revealing his chest and the ghastly stab wound positioned dangerously close to his heart.

"Charge to 200!" Conway rubbed the defibrillator pads together and held it over Coulson's exposed chest. "Clear!"

A small jerk of the agent's chest, then all eyes were on the monitor.

"Clear!"

Another jerk. The erratic beeping continued.

Jackson turned the knob attached on the wall. "Charging to 360!"

"Clear!"

The erratic beeping dropped to a dull, flat tone after the third shock, signaling the lack of heartbeats from Coulson. Holly let out a scream and started forward, but was restrained by one of the paramedics who pulled her away from the gurney. "No! Let me go!_ Phil!_"

"Get her the hell out of here!" Conway barked as he abandoned the defibrillator paddles and started to pump Coulson's still chest in a series of timed compressions. The paramedic holding onto Holly nodded and pulled her backward, leading her limp body out of the wards. It was when they were nearly out of the double doors that the young woman started to fight back.

"Let me go!" Holly shrieked and clawed at the paramedic's arm, leaving red scratches on the arms wrapped around her body like a vice. She kicked and flailed and threw her body weight against the man while he struggled to hold her back. "_That's my uncle in there! Let go!_"

"_Calm down!_" The paramedic yelled, shaking Holly by the shoulders roughly. "Calm down."

The fight in the young woman fizzled out, leaving her slumped against the paramedic who leaned her against the wall. He took a step back and watched warily as she slid down the wall and dropped onto the ground in a boneless heap.

"You have to let them do their job." Pity coated the man's word. "I'm sure your uncle will be fine."

Holly cringed. She didn't want his sympathy. She wanted her uncle.

"He coded once." Holly murmured back, staring blankly at the closed doors. The heavy weight of the unspoken implication hung thickly in the still air. "I heard you. You said he coded once and the stab wound nicked his heart." She paused and wrapped her arms around her legs, folding her form in to make herself as small as possible. "He just flat lined."

The paramedic stiffened. "He'll be okay."

Holly wondered if she had sounded as unconvinced as the paramedic when she tried to comfort Wagner earlier. If she had, the young woman now knew that he never believed her when she told him everything was going to be all right.

* * *

Steve reached a hand out towards Stark and smirked. "I've been helping you up a lot lately,"

"Yeah, don't get used to it." Stark bit back. He flipped his iron mask up and looked down at the unconscious body lying at his feet. He then kicked at the man's body with his ironclad foot and scowled. "Bastard nearly turned me into a bowl of metal cornflakes."

"I thought your suit was indestructible?"

"Says who?" Stark countered. "I might be bigoted and a little arrogant sometimes," At this Steve sent him a _'Sometimes? Really?'_ look, which he promptly ignored and continued. "But I'm a genius and geniuses never make statements without solid proof to back them up."

Steve rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "You need to work on your people skills."

"I don't need to work on anything for people. People _work_ for me."

"That's what I was talking about."

Static came through the wired earpieces both were wearing, causing them to fall quiet as they waited for whatever order that was going to be related to them.

"_Agent Coulson is down."_ Fury's voice sounded exceptionally loud in their ears amidst the humming silence in the ruined wing.

There was a beat, then a click. _"The medical team is on its way to your location."_

"_They're here."_ Another pause. _"They called it."_

Steve let out a muffled curse – something that was quite unlike the 40's gentleman to do – and ripped out his earpiece roughly. He threw the device to the side and stormed out of the wing without another word.

Stark stared after the soldier. "Where are you going?"

"Medical bay!" Steve called back, not once stopping in his light jog. "Holly doesn't know!"

The genius industrialist hurried after the super-soldier just as he was about to turn around a corner towards the stairs leading to the second floor medical wards. "What has the nurse got to do with Coulson?"

"Coulson's her uncle." Steve explained, slowing down his hasty gait slightly so Stark could catch up to him. "He pretty much raised her after her parents passed away." The blonde stole a glance at the shorter man and sent him a dark look. "Thought you'd have known that by now; you did have access to all her personal files."

"Hey now. Your intimidating Captain thing is showing." Stark held up his hands in a universal sign of surrender at the biting accusation in the captain's words. "I didn't expose her abilities intentionally because of some personal vendetta against her. I did it to provoke Fury." They descended the flight of steps and continued narrowly avoided bumping into two agents – one carrying the weight of his comrade who looked to be unconscious. "I wanted him to know that secrets don't make friends. Holly just happened to be one of the many classified information in his endless vault."

"I don't trust him." Steve gritted out. His scowl deepened at the thought of the dark skinned SHIELD director. "Not after what he's done."

Stark nodded. "Me neither."

A silent alliance formed between the two, pushing aside their animosity and differentiating personalities over their shared distrust for Fury and his agency. Steve hated bullies and liars. Nick Fury was both of these things combined into a leather trench coat wearing, forever glowering, singled eyed man. Even though he was trying to save the planet from being subjugated by a deranged and power hungry Asgardian, he was going about it the wrong way.

"I feel lucky now," Stark mumbled when they looked down the corridor leading closer to the medical bay. Gurneys littered the space and the brightly lit lights cast strong focus on the blood trails left on the walls and the floor. His dark brown eyes traced over the mayhem and stopped when they landed on a figure with messy brown hair looking up at a man in a white coat.

"She's there." Stark nudged the soldier, directing his chin at the petite woman. "She knows."

Steve looked up and let out another curse when he saw the doctor patting her on the shoulder sympathetically before turning away to return to the medical bay. The super soldier started forward, Stark following behind him quietly, his scrutinizing sight trailing over her form. He grimaced at the blood soiling what used to be a clean white blouse and silently prayed that they were someone else's blood instead; no matter how selfish that sounded.

From afar, he could see the heaving of her shoulders and how the skin over her knuckles stretched tightly over them. Holly's wide, glassy eyes were fixed on the entrance of the wards, staring but not quite looking, as if she was waiting for Coulson to walk through those doors, alive and healthy.

She blinked once when Steve stopped in front of her. His broad stature blocked off the doors from her and she found herself staring into the trademark silver star patched against a sea of cerulean blue.

Captain America's logo. The stars and stripes. Coulson's favourite superhero.

"Holly." Steve's voice was quiet against the noisy background; so low that it was almost inaudible, even to the man himself.

But to Holly, the mere utterance of her name was louder than anything else in that moment.

The five-letter word sounded _sad _from Steve's lips. _He _sounded sad and regretful and _helpless_ – as though the soldier wanted to help her but he didn't know how. Steve's voice – rich but low – stood out against the buzzing of the agents around them; against the tumultuous commotion from the chaotic medical bay and against the voice humming in the back of her head that sounded ridiculously like Dr. Jackson.

"_We're very sorry," _it said. _"Agent Coulson passed away on the operating table."_

The words repeated in her head, over and over, like a broken radio that had had its replay button stuck in position. Jackson's voice was joined by another – Holly's own – that was replaying her last conversation with Coulson.

"_I trusted you, but I was wrong."_

A kind of vacancy grew inside her. It felt like a void, a deep bottomless pit that was getting larger and emptier and darker with every echo of her own voice.

"I told him I didn't trust him." Holly exhaled shakily and tilted her chin to look up into stormy blue eyes. Hot tears gathered in her eyes as the weight of her revelation sunk in. "He died thinking I didn't trust him."

Steve watched, concerned, as Holly's lips parted and she started to take in heavy, shuddering breaths that rattled her form. Her shoulders heaved and heaved, until a choked sob fell from her lips and hung in the air between them.

She bowed her head. Another sob escaped.

Then another.

And another.

And all Steve could manage to do was to reach an arm out and wrap it around Holly's trembling shoulders tentatively as she cried into his chest. He drew her limp form into a light embrace, resting her forehead across the solid expanse of his chest while his free hand came up to pat her on her head in a slightly awkward manner that only man out of time could achieve.

"Come on," Steve looked up at the low, husky voice and met Stark's murky brown orbs from over Holly's head. "Let's get her someplace quiet."

* * *

As soon as Steve and Stark had gotten the distraught young woman settled back in her own room, they had been called away by Fury for an emergency meeting down at the helicarrier's bridge.

They were both disgruntled, when Hill appeared in Holly's room not long after they arrived to gather them on Fury's orders. The director had also demanded for Holly to attend the conference, but Stark had promptly deflected that order by calling for Fury through the intercom and telling him to _'leave the girl alone or he'll find himself with a nuclear bomb shoved up one of his orifices where the sun never shines'_.

After making sure the young woman was good to be left alone – she had fallen asleep in Steve's arms halfway during the trip to her room from sheer exhaustion – both Steve and Stark returned to their respective weaponry vaults to shed off their suits while Hill waited for them outside, acting as if there could have been a possible chance for either of them to escape.

Once their combat uniforms were stripped down and put away safely in their own secured storages; the two men followed Hill back to the bridge where Fury had been waiting for them.

The bridge was fairly vacant as compared to how it looked before the assault on the helicarrier. Save for Fury, Hill, Stark and Steve, there were only a handful of other uninjured agents still manning their stations.

Fury appraised the two and nodded for them to be seated around the empty glass table while Hill automatically took up a spot away from them like she always did.

"These were in Phil Coulson's jacket." Fury started, staring down at the deck of blood stained Captain America trading cards in his hands. "Guess he never did get you to sign them."

He tossed the cards in Steve's direction, scattering the cards across the table indifferently. Coulson's blood, still wet on the cards, tainted the glass, leaving red droplets smeared against the spotless surface.

"We're dead in the air up here. Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor." Fury exhaled deeply. "I've got nothing for you. Lost my one good eye. Maybe I had that coming." He paused and eyed the two men around the table carefully. With slow, calculating steps, he walked towards Steve. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea, Stark knows this, called The Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could."

He paused.

"Phil Coulson died still believing in that idea." Stark stiffened in his seat at the mention of the agent. "In heroes."

"And Holly?" Stark quipped. "What about her? What part does she play in this? What, do you plan on using her to shield the entire planet? I know you're crazy, director, but I didn't think you've reached that stage yet."

"Miss Fairchild was our contingency plan before everything went to shit." Fury explained calmly. Stark sneered in response, hating how he could talk about the young woman so casually. "She was merely recruited as a back up plan for if we couldn't get to the cube in time."

Steve frowned and leveled his hardened glare with Fury. "What do you mean back up plan?"

"For containment." Stark murmured, realization dawning on him when he recalled everything he had read in Holly's file. "Once the Tesseract is activated, and the portals are open, there is no way for you to close them off without your machines. You plan to use her to absorb the energy of the cube such that it's weakened and the gates can be shut down."

"You're going to kill her." Steve barked. "You have no idea how much power the cube holds!"

"And you two are undermining the magnitude of her abilities." Fury retorted, slamming his hands on the glass heavily. He fixed Steve with a steady gaze as he spoke. "The serum created by Robert and Helene was _specially_ designed for use in _wars_; powerful enough that the recipient would be able to withstand the blast from a medium sized nuclear bomb. Of course, it was meant to be taken by a soldier, so that our armies will be prepared for situations like this."

At this, the blood drained from Steve's face.

The serum was created _for_ the war, to help the army win the battle by playing with science. Everything sounded too familiar and hit way too close to home for comfort to Steve. Was Robert and Helene inspired by the success of Captain America? Was it because of him that Holly was burdened with something she never asked for?

A heavy guilt pooled in his gut. Steve clenched his hands and drew them under the table as he took deep breaths to stop the chill that crept up his spine.

"It was by a chance of misfortune that the only successful vial was spent on Miss Fairchild." Fury continued, nonplussed. "We have no choice but to utilize her powers."

Stark pushed himself out of his seat, having had enough of Fury and his talk. His face was frozen in an unfathomable expression, stuck somewhere between anger and trying his best not to punch the dark skinned man in the face. "Yeah, good luck on getting the help of a woman whose family died because of your _plans_."

The technological genius turned and strode out of the bridge, leaving a tense silence in his wake.

* * *

I know a lot of you didn't want me to kill off Coulson, but to be honest; I've never had the thought of letting him survive the attack in this story. I have to agree with the original script. The team needed a push, a common motivation – to get them going, to bind them together to fight. So, Coulson's death was, to be plainly put, necessary. It had to be done. But don't you guys worry too much, because he'll be back - whether as a real person, as a memory or as a ghost ;) But I assure you, he will be back.

Also, lately, I feel like my writing style/grammar/tenses have deteriorated _terribly _and they aren't as - smooth? flowing? - as they used to be. I hope this "condition" goes away fast because I'm growing more and more frustrated as I continue writing. I often had to go back, reread three or more times before I can find my train of thought again and it irritates me so much sometimes that I simply don't feel like continuing. But I'm pressing on because I've got a lot of other things planned for Steve and Holly and I wanna complete this so I can get started on the sequel ;)

So once again, please review! I'd love to hear from all of you (yes you, silent readers!). Comments are what keeps me improving/writing. I read all of them and take each and every one of them into careful consideration. My dad always said criticism is the first step to improvement. This will be my last update for 2012 (seeing as it _is_ 31st Dec). I'll see all of you in a brand new year!

_**Happy 2013 in advance to all my lovely readers,**  
__thekindlyones_


	16. Purpose

**Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Sixteen: Purpose_

* * *

There are many types of people in this world, which goes without saying, considering how many people there are on this planet. We have the conventional good and bad; the forgiving and revengeful; people who likes people and people who shuns away from people; smart ones and the not so mind savvy ones; those who likes silence and those who would go completely crazy in it. Those people like Holly.

She attributed this uneasiness of the peace and quiet to the fact that she had always been surrounded by sounds – be it those that occurred naturally or be it ones that she caused intentionally. At work, she had the mechanical beeping of the machines and the clear-voiced paging broadcasts over the PA system to help with that. There was never a dull moment in the trauma ward. If things started to get too quiet in her house, Holly would always pop in one of her parents' old vinyl records or CDs and let the smooth, jazzy melodies fill the air. Although overplayed, the old music brought her ease and reassurance.

Holly liked noises. Noises brought comfort. They gave her something to focus on.

Silence on the other hand, made her feel small, helpless and tyrannized.

It was nothing, but it was also everything. Silence was the thoughts, past regrets and memories that keep you up at night – except they were louder, realer, scarier; nothing like the tiny nagging voice that popped up in the back of your head once in a while, and which you could easily brush away.

It had been a while since Holly was in a place where silence held complete reign of the atmosphere. Sure, she had spent the past three days in the same room while onboard the helicarrier. But it only occurred to her how quiet the place could be.

The bag rustled loudly when Holly picked the watch out from the clear bag that contained various other seemingly random objects. In the deafening quietness of the four walls, everything was amplified. The crunching of the plastic; the steady shuddering of her breathing, the rustling of the bed sheets and the audible monotonous ticking of the timepiece – all the normally insignificant noises sounded exceptionally loud and grating to her ears.

These noises made her nauseous and aggravated the faint throbbing in her temples.

An agent had dropped by earlier – waking her up from the nap she never knew she had taken – to pass her some of the things that were on Coulson before he was taken to the morgue, having found out her relation to the agent through Dr. Conway. Holly had thought everyone on the helicarrier would have known about their relationship way before the mission, but she supposed Coulson hid that little tidbit of information because he wanted to protect her and her privacy.

Like he always had been doing – protecting her.

But when it was Coulson's turn to be protected, she wasn't there.

Holly looked down at her hands. Slowly, she stretched it towards the window where sunlight, bright and golden, was streaming into the room in rich hues. The gossamer threads of her shield shimmered and glistened, casting a ghostly glow on her already fair skin. With a little bit of concentration, the almost unnoticeable glow deepened and the silvery colour gave way to swirls of iridescent purples and reds and blues.

It was beautiful and unique and–

Holly _hated_ it.

She desperately wished it were something she could get rid of. She never liked this unique ability of hers. It made her feel like a freak – weird, abnormal, unnatural. But, although she never liked it, she didn't hate it. Not really. Holly tolerated it instead; only going so far as to convincing herself it never existed on some days when she stood in front of the mirror and the light streaming through her windows highlighted the empyrean hues.

Her abilities were a carefully avoided topic in the family, and had only been talked about for maybe, two or three times in the whole 17 years Holly had had them. It suited her just fine though, because it went well with her desire to ignore this problem of hers. The last time she had spoken to Coulson about it was when she discovered she could turn the shield on and off at her own will. That was the only thing concerning her shield that she felt remotely happy about, because it meant that Holly no longer had to be carefully covered up for school due to the shield's nature of sporadic activeness.

That had been 14 years ago.

The then 10-year-old mentioned the newly discovered development in casual passing during her and Coulson's assigned Blockbuster Thursdays. In response to her random admission about the shunted topic, Coulson had the grace to try and be equally as casual about it, although his disposition still ended up to be obviously forced on his end. The agent had turned away from the television screen where _The Godfather _was playing to give the child a curt nod and a quiet word of acknowledgement.

And that, as they say, was that. The pair had returned to their movie and dinner and the matter were never brought up again.

Until five days ago, when Coulson dropped by Holly's house with her favourite red velvet cake and Fury's insane proposition of getting the young woman to join him in the mission of liberating the planet from a mythical figure she had only ever read about in books.

A deep burning sensation, raw and red and _angry_, bubbled up inside her at the rapidly changing thoughts flashing across her mind.

Fury. Loki. Coulson. Her shield.

Holly's left hand moved to scratch at an itch on her right one. Blunt nails dug into the back on her right hand painfully and pulled, leaving four red, angry streaks across the pale surface.

She detested this unearthly glow right now; this glimmering, translucent armour wrapped around her form. It was a permanent memento of what she had lost and only served to remind her of the people she could have saved, of the things she could have helped avoid happening and of the things she could have done.

Because what was the use of having a special shield when she couldn't use it to protect the ones she loves?

The scratching continued. It felt as though the phantom itch had spread, and the tickling sensation was expanding to encompass the whole of her right hand. Her teeth gnawed at her lip, hard enough to draw blood. She was hoping the physical pain would distract her from the dull ache spreading through her body. The stinging on her hand was nothing compared to the growing, empty ache inside her.

A sharp sting made Holly focus on her fidgeting hands. Some of the scrapes were seeping tiny droplets of blood through the broken skin, which had turned a bright and raw red. It was then that she realized she had been trying to scratch her shield off, no matter how ridiculous that sounded.

Her hands clenched; Coulson's watch dug into the flesh of her palm.

* * *

"_But… Uncle Phil! It's… How could you forget your own birthday!" 12-year-old Holly sputtered indignantly. She was affronted, to say the least. Her uncle was a complete travesty. "It's… it's your _birthday_!"_

_Coulson shrugged out of his blazer jacket and draped it over the bar stool beside him. He picked the half melted numbers '3' and '6' from the cake and dug into the small chocolate cake Holly had gotten, smiling. "So that you would always be there to remind me and plan all the surprise parties for me! It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I _knew _there was going to be a surprise, is it?"_

_Holly frowned. "Well, I suppose. But it's still stupid to forget your birthday. It's like a personal holiday. Except with school and homework." She made a face at the thought of her homeroom teacher, Mrs Kingsley and the incomplete math homework sitting on her study desk._

"_Enough of that." Coulson's smile stretched. He put a hand out and wriggled his fingers. "Where's my present?"_

"_You can't demand for your presents like that, Uncle P!" Holly admonished as she reached over for the only wrapped box on the island counter laden with food. "That's rude."_

_The agent's eyebrows rose at her reprimand. "You always demand for your presents."_

"_That's because I'm a child." Holly rebutted smoothly. "You're an adult. It's _inappropriate_. Happy Birthday, Uncle Phil."_

"_You're growing too fast, you know that?" Coulson said in response to her chiding and took the red and blue paper wrapped box from the young girl with a grin. "What is it?"_

"_A constant reminder."_

_The ornate silver bow Mrs Clarkson from the gift-wrapping store had put on the box came off with a swift tug from her uncle's eager hands before Coulson started into the wrapping paper, removing them piece by piece, until a smooth, black, leather box came into view._

_Coulson flipped the lid up and immediately, his eyes shot up to the beaming young child in front of him. "How did you –"_

"_I saw you looking at it on the computer lots of times." Holly explained. "Plus I know your watch's old and spoiling, so I went to the website when you were at work to see that you added it to your wish list." She paused and quirked her lips at her uncle, recalling the special Internet safety classes her school had felt was mandatory for the students. "You should think about logging out after every use."_

"_You're really growing up too fast." Coulson reiterated. He pried the vintage Omega Speedmaster Professional he had been eyeing on TheChronoPlace for months on end from the safe confinements of its cushioned housing and held it reverently in his hands. "No 12-year-old does or say things like that."_

"_Blue's sister helped me order the watch. I just paid." _

_Coulson's expressive brows furrowed. "But Little, this watch cost a ton, how did you come up with all that money?" The frown deepened. "Do you have a job somewhere I should know about?"_

"_I've got savings and my savings have got interest." Holly took a bite of the uncut chocolate cake and couldn't help but compare it to Luna's red velvet. "Mommy, Daddy, Gramma, Grampa and you gave me more than enough money to spend over the years." _

"_Wouldn't you want to spend that money on things for yourself?"_

_She shrugged casually and bit into a strawberry. The tart and tangy flavour of the red fruit burst in her mouth. "I've got nothing I want. Everything I need, you got them for me, Uncle Phil." Holly put her fork down and took the watch from her uncle's hands gingerly. She flipped it over, revealing the smooth back of the watch face and placed it back in Coulson's careful hold. "I added something special."_

_Coulson's eyes trailed over the entirety of the glass plate, stopping, when he noticed the small feature that was uncommon on a normal Omega watch. The winning grin on his face softened to a small gentle smile as his thumbs trailed over the four words – To Infinity and Beyond – carved onto the polished Rhodium plate in a neat, cursive script._

_These famous words spoken by a well-loved cartoon character was a promise made between the man and his early-orphaned niece. It was the reassurance Holly sought that nobody but Coulson could give; a simple pact he made to promise the little girl that she was never going to be alone in this world._

_Holly bit her lips and looked unsure for a moment. "You remember… right?"_

"_Of course I do, Little." Coulson reached over the counter and ruffled the child's hair fondly. He chuckled at her disgruntled expression, although it didn't stay on her delicate features for long as a sparkling smile tugged on her pink lips. "We'll always stay with each other to infinity and beyond. How could I forget, huh?"_

"_You like it then?"_

"_I love it." Coulson declared as he replaced his old damaged watch with the shiny new one. "It's the best reminder I'm ever given, Hols."_

* * *

"_Holly_!"

At the sharp call of her name, Holly tore her eyes away from the words engraved into the back of the watch and looked up. A pair of light blue eyes, laced with quiet concern and wariness, watched her carefully from behind a curtain of dark lashes.

Holly blinked once and the spell of the memory was broken into nothing but wisps of disembodied voices. She scooted back a little at the close proximity between their faces and mustered a small 'hey' in response to Steve's call.

The hand that had been shaking her shoulders loosened its grip and slid away as Steve pulled himself back and straightened his posture. His hands replaced themselves by his side limply and he took a step back to put some more space between them.

"Hey." He parroted. "Your door was open, so I uh… came in. I knocked first though."

Steve looked away after his hasty explanation as his eyes trailed around the room. His attention stopped on the simple study desk when he saw the familiar pair of cat ears headband lying on top of a well-read novel. He turned away and settled his focus back on the young woman when she in her spot uncomfortably.

"Are you okay?" Holly stiffened at his whispered question, causing him to cringe at his tactlessness. "I mean – um…"

He quietened down from continuing and making a fool out of himself and let out a deep sigh. Steve fidgeted with the mask in his hand, not knowing what to do next and feeling equally as uncomfortable in the cold silence.

"I don't think so, no." Holly admitted after awhile. She looked up at Steve, who appeared mildly surprised and caught off guard at her honest response. "How about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah," Holly shrugged. "Are you okay?"

"I'm… I don't know." He answered truthfully. Steve watched as Holly put her slender wrist through the watch's silver strap and clip it on securely. The timepiece slid down her smooth wrist when she hung her hand to see if the watch would drop off her hand completely. It didn't. "The team and I, we're leaving."

Holly's hand dropped back into her lap. "Where?"

"Stark Tower." Steve pulled the chair from the study desk and positioned it in front of the bed before dropping into it. "We think Loki's planning to play out his assault from there. Stark believes Loki wants to be seen, and his tower is placed right in the center of the city."

"Oh." Holly let out a shaky breath. She brushed her hair from her eyes and tugged them behind her ears almost absentmindedly. "What's the point?"

Steve stayed silent at her murmur, not entirely sure if her quiet words were meant for him or not.

They were, because she continued speaking, eyes focused on her hands. The super-soldier noticed the red marks on the smooth skin and frowned.

"What's the point in continuing to fight Loki when we've so obviously lost the war? It's a losing battle. We're fighting a god; a god with the upper hand and an army waiting to help him." Holly reasoned, getting more and more agitated as she spoke. Red blossomed against her cheeks, giving her a feverish look. "An army of aliens against a team of humans. We've got nothing left to help us, Steve. There's nothing we can do. We're just setting ourselves up for more unneeded death and destruction."

"There's nothing…" Her voice cracked, then, and she sagged. The life seemed to seep out of her and she shrank into herself. "There's nothing we can do that can bring my uncle back."

The silence returned between them. It hung in the air like a thick cloud that could be easily chased away if one of them had said something,

Steve leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. He appraised the grieving woman and chose his next words carefully.

"You're right." He agreed. "There's nothing we can do to bring Coulson back. He's dead." A small cringe appeared as fast as it was gone on Holly's face. Steve pressed on, not letting the small sting of guilt he felt stop him. "But we can give his death a purpose. Give his death _the _purpose by defeating Loki."

"That's why he joined S.H.I.E.L.D, isn't it? That's why he became an agent. His purpose is to protect." Holly looked up at him. Her watery eyes were unguarded; exposing the emotions that were raging inside her. "To protect the world; his friends and family. _You_."

The young woman looked back down at the watch and brushed her finger across the smooth glass surface gently, soothingly.

"Besides, what makes you so sure Loki's going to win?" Steve straightened himself in his seat and smiled a boyish, winning grin. "I'm Captain America, remember? I crash-landed in the Arctic and survived by sleeping in a bed of glaciers. I'm not going to be so easily crushed by a pesky lunatic with a glowing stick."

Holly gave a teary chuckle and sniffed, brushing the sleeve of her still bloodied blouse across her watery eyes. "Mr. Stark's rubbing off of you."

"That is the worst thing anyone can ever say to me, ma'am."

The two shared a quiet laugh.

Steve sobered, when the confrontation on the bridge nagged at the back of his mind. He brushed a careless hand through his sandy hair, muttering, "I owe you an apology."

Holly quirked an eyebrow at Steve's random admission. "What for?"

"I'm the reason you've got these abilities."

"Um, what?"

"Your parents – the serum they created, they were inspired by Dr. Erskine's Super-Soldier formula, weren't they?" Steve frowned as bitterness rose up inside him. It was the same resentment he felt when he had just woken up to find that he had survived while his comrades aged and withered away. "Nobody would have wanted to replicate the serum if it wasn't because of Captain America's success. If I hadn't taken that serum, if I hadn't changed the way I was… people like you and Dr. Banner would never have been burdened with these problems. So, I'm sorry."

Holly blinked at the sudden ramble of words that rushed out at her. Before Steve could continue his tirade of self-condemnation, her hand had reached over to land a quick and sharp slap on his smooth forehead. The soldier blinked, once then twice, and scowled. His hand reached up to rub at the reddening spot.

"What was that for?"

"Should I call for Fury?" Holly asked instead. "Did Loki possessed you with this magic wand?" She frowned and looked around the room in apprehension. "Can he do that – control you even when he's not here?"

"What?"

Holly chuckled. "You're being a doofus."

"A what?" Steve was lost.

"Doofus. An idiot. Stupid person. Phil would probably make me slap myself for calling you an idiot."

"An idiot?" Steve let out a disbelieving scoff. "I was apologizing! To you!"

"Well, don't. There's nothing for you to be sorry about." Holly asserted with a curt nod. "I don't even know how you come up with the notion that everything was your fault. Besides, you're not even the one that created the serum. You're just the man who took it."

"But they were motivated by my success!"

Holly quirked a brow and cracked a smile. "Now you sound _exactly_ like Mr. Stark." She shook her head, not giving Steve the chance to refute her, saying, "It's _not _your fault, Steve. You shouldn't blame yourself for people doing things because _they_ want to. You didn't exactly point a gun at their heads and forced them to recreate the serum, did you? People who sought to achieve the same success Dr. Erskine did only have themselves to blame for anything bad that happened to them. _Yes_, even my parents."

She sighed and plucked at her blouse that was starting to stick to her skin. Perhaps it was time to change. "If anything, I blame them, Fury and myself. You were never someone I chose to be angry at. So stop being a noble idiot. Not everything is your fault."

Holly looked up at Steve, only to see that he had stiffened and had one finger pressed against the communicator in his ear. With brows furrowed, he was listening attentively to the intercom broadcasts before muttering a quiet 'I'm on my way' and turning his focus back on Holly.

"I'm sorry, I've got to go," Steve informed her. He stood from his chair and slipped the mask on quickly. The light atmosphere had all but escaped from the room as the weight of the situation crept upon them again. "Fury's going to make you come along with us. I want you to stay on the helicarrier, okay?"

"There's no way for him to shut the cube down, is there?" Holly asked. Dread was rising up inside her rapidly, leaving a cold trail in its wake. "Phil told me. I'm only supposed to join you all when the worst really came down to it. I'm the last, desperate resort."

Steve faltered, but mustered a small smile in hopes of masking his hesitation. Holly saw through his attempt immediately "Don't worry about that. We'll figure it out. Don't let Fury intimidate you into coming to the front line. You'll be safer here." The soldier patted Holly on the shoulder lightly before giving it a small squeeze in an attempt to alleviate the worry that was radiating off of her in waves.

"I'll see you later." Steve's hand slipped from her shoulder as he turned to exit the room, only to look back in surprise when he felt a small force tugging on the same gloved hand. He looked back to see a smaller, thinner hand – Holly's hand – clutching onto his own tightly, desperately.

"Don't die."

A bright flush blossomed across Holly's cheeks once the feeble request had slipped from her mouth. The words sounded so immature and pathetic when it escaped into the air between them even though it sounded stronger and more commanding in her mind.

Holly cringed.

Her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find the right words to say. Her mind was blank when it had been bursting with things she wanted to tell the super-soldier.

She let out a small sigh and was about to loosen her grip on Steve's hand when he patted it with the hand that she wasn't clutching like a lifeline.

"Bed of ice, remember?"

"Right, of course." The grip around Steve's red-gloved hand loosened.

"I'll see you later, ma'am."

Steve exited the room and the silence returned to the still, quiet air once again.

* * *

"_We have non-authorized departure from plane six."_

Fury looked up from the stack of blood stained Captain America cards at the sudden announcement to see Iron Man and a jet soaring away from the helicarrier.

"They found him." He tucked the cards into his trench coat's pocket and turned to Hill, who had been questioning about the cards moments before. "Get our communications back up, whatever you have to do. I want eyes on everything."

"Yes, sir." Hill stalked away to her usual perch in front of Fury's control system and started directing all the agents who were left in the bridge to begin their emergency communication protocols.

"Hill, is Fairchild still in her room?"

The blue-eyed agent pulled up a map on her computer. There were still four flashing red lights – two on the bridge, one in the crew cabins and another in the medical bay. "Yes, sir."

"Man the controls." The agency director strode off towards the doors, his trench coat billowing behind him. "Report to me when we have our communications up and working."

Fury started down the hallway towards the cabins in quick, purposeful strides, maneuvering the labyrinth in the sky like an expert. It didn't take him long to arrive at the stretch of private rooms as he walked towards the section segregated for the special recruits.

Holly's door was left slightly open and Fury, being the brusque, forthright man he was, entered the room without announcing his arrival.

He watched as the young woman exited the attached bathroom with a blood soaked white blouse in her hands, stiffening in her steps when she saw him standing in her doorway from the corner of her eye. She threw the ruined piece of clothing onto her bedside table and took a seat on her unmade bed.

The agent watched with wary eyes when Holly pulled the drawer to her bedside table open slightly, revealing a sliver view of the gun residing inside.

"What do you want?"

"I think you already know what I want you to do." Fury moved deeper into the room and stopped just in front of Holly. The young woman stiffened in her seat. "It's time. I'm sure Coulson had already briefed you on the standard procedures for what you have to –"

"I don't _have _to do anything for you."

Holly's hand twitched in her lap. She shot a glance at the gun in the drawer before looking up at Fury, knowing he had seen where her line of sight had been directed.

Fury stayed silent.

"You're responsible for them." Holly hissed, scowling at the man with a loathsome glower. Hate twisted her features into an ugly snarl that didn't fit on her kind face. "My parents, Uncle Phil… What makes you think I'll help you?"

Fury stared back at her unflinchingly. "The same reason why you came onboard despite your hatred for S.H.I.E.L.D and me. You wanted to help."

Holly scoffed.

"I came because it would have been useless to hide away." Holly scoffed. "You're Director Nick Fury, and Director Fury gets what he wants, whomever he wants, whenever he wants it."

Fury smiled patiently at the mocking tone in her voice. "I don't always get what I want, Miss Fairchild. If I did, your parents and uncle would still be alive, and the serum would definitely not have been spent on you."

"But it did! And they're all dead!" The skin stretched wide over Holly's knuckles as she clenched her fists beside her. "You're a _foul, heartless, cruel_ man who cares about nothing but your stupid plans."

"Spare me the sob story and teenage angst, little girl." Fury scoffed. "You wouldn't have come onboard if the slightest part of you never desired to help. You could have flat out rejected Coulson and you _know _for a fact that he would have respected your wishes."

"It's the same reason why he didn't up and send you into hiding when I told him about your employment for this mission. He fought it, _yes, _but he relented in the end." He continued. "Because even though he had been trying to keep you from getting involved with S.H.I.E.L.D, he accepts that only you had the power to contain the cube if all our plans fall through. And he believed you would want the chance to save the people, no matter how much you hate the agency."

Now it was Holly's turn to keep silent as she stared up at the man looming over her. Her hands twitched once more, tempted to reach over towards the gun and let off a round into Fury's forehead.

"I am sorry about your parents' death, Fairchild." Fury admitted. His baritone voice had lost its vehemence. "I understand if you blamed me for what happened to them. Helene and Robert never wanted to take part in the project, but I beckoned them. They were the two brightest scientists in the agency, and I was sure the project was going to be fail proof. It was obvious I have not considered the amount of danger I have put them and you in."

"And Phil? You're not sorry about him?"

"No, I'm not. He died to stop Loki. I'm not going to cheapen his purpose by taking responsibility for it."

Steve's words replayed in her head.

"_We can give his death a purpose. And his purpose is to protect. To protect the world, his friends and family. You."_

"I want out." Holly finally said after a moment of silence. "If I help you, I want out. I want you and _everything _related to S.H.I.E.L.D out of my life. I want all my files wiped out from your system and I don't want you poking into my privacy. I want you to remove every single agent you ordered to watch me – from the hospital, the local bakery, _anywhere – _I want them all gone. And I never want to see your face or hear from you _ever_ again after Phil's funeral."

She stood from the bed and smiled up at Fury dangerously.

"If you break any of my demands after I've helped you, I'm going to take a vial of my blood and run to the nearest terrorist force." Fury's face hardened, obviously not taking well to being threatened by anyone, least of all, a woman. "You wouldn't want that do you, Director? Imagine an army of men from a hostile force that could manipulate energy like me. That's going to be your worst nightmare come true, wouldn't it?"

Holly could almost hear the gritting of Fury's teeth as she allowed herself to bask in the satisfaction from winding the man up.

"Get changed into the uniform." Fury ordered and turned towards the door. "I want you down by the bridge in three."

* * *

Ugh, I'm so frustrated by this chapter because I kept getting stuck and the words are just not getting out smoothly. I'm so sorry for the long wait, it would have taken me lesser time if I weren't so distracted by nothing.

I'm rushing to get the rest of the movie over and done with (hopefully by the next chapter) so I can get the storyline for my sequel started, which I'm really excited to let y'all read it.

Much loves to these reviewers for your hilarious/encouraging reviews:

**stinkysox: **Thanks for the reminder, dear! I'll go back and correct them once I'm done with the story. P/S: the cat in your display picture is adorable!**  
WhatsGoingOn: **Your reviews never fail to crack me up! It's like reading a unicorn high on drugs commenting on my story. THEY. ARE. PRICELESS. Also, I know! I cried when Coulson died in the movie. I remembered calling Whedon every bad name I know of and hated him for awhile before loving him again for this brilliant movie. (Dianna Agron has always been my choice for Steve. It's like my brain can't compute another actress to play Holly)**  
Itsgoose2u: **I'm glad you loved them! Let's go watch some Marvel one-shots to make us feel better**  
Guest: **I'm sorry for disappointing you :( Will it help if I dropped a little hint on Coulson's fate in this chapter?**  
Hailey-Stone:** LMD is a VERY liable theory ;) **  
Avalongirl55: **Although I was angry with Whedon for awhile over Coulson's death, I knew it had to be done. Also, I hope the Holly in the upcoming chapters will make up for her bit of weakness :o**  
Toriluvsu: **Thanks dear!**  
Ali: **Tony always seemed like the kind of man who would care for his friends deeply, but never show it in their faces. He has a reputation to uphold afterall ;)**  
. Fanfic: **Happy New Year to you too, sweetie! Hope you enjoy this new chapter!**  
LadySyndra: **I've updated!**  
youngbones7: **Happy 2013 to you too! I was terribly heartbroken too because Coulson's the one person Holly depended to not leave her. It was pretty hard to write that chapter. I was afraid I couldn't get her emotions across clearly.**  
Peach:** OH MY GOD. I cracked up when I read your review. It made my day and I was having an exceptionally sucky one. And I agree, Coulson's one of the best non-superhero in the Marvel universe.**  
& Binary 9:** Tom, is that you?

And to the new subscribers, hello! Remember, I love and appreciate each and every review you guys leave me! So, bombs away, fellas!

xo _thekindlyones_


	17. Arrowman and Dragons

**Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Seventeen: Arrowman and Dragons_

* * *

Steve slammed his shield into two Chitauri just before they could fire their weapons at Barton and Romanoff. They fell to the ground with the force of his vibranium armor and he proceeded to knock back three more aliens when a bolt of sizzling lightning shot down from the sky, its aim focused on the approaching group of aliens in front of him.

The ghastly looking beings, clad in identical suits of dark grey metal fell lifelessly at his feet just as Thor landed on the ground with an earth shattering force. The hefty Asgardian god crashed against a car and staggered to his feet, cradling the side of his waist gingerly with a pained snarl.

"What's the story upstairs?" Steve asked, strapping his trusty shield back on his arm.

"The Tesseract has been fully activated," informed Thor. "The power surrounding the cube is impenetrable."

A group of Chitauri flew past the diverse group of heroes, led by a flash of red and gold armour that was firing repulsor beams in successive sequence until the hostiles fell from the sky heavily.

"_Thor's right. We gotta deal with these guys._" Stark's robotic voice came through the intercom as he flew out of sight once more.

Romanoff threw the Chitauri weapon she had been using to the side with a grunt and scowled. "How do we do this?"

"As a team." Steve stated with vindication.

Thor frowned in response. "I have unfinished business with Loki."

"Yeah?" Barton quipped as he twisted a new technologically altered arrowhead to the shaft. "Well, get in line."

"Save it." The super-soldier reproached. Steve stalked forwards and eyed the skies critically. The sounds of the alien army tearing up the city could still be heard in the near distance, as were the frantic screams from the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. "Loki's going to keep his fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him, these things could go wild. We got Stark on top, he's gonna need us to…"

A deep rumbling sounded, cutting Steve's strategic commands short as a disheveled Bruce Banner came into view, riding on an equally beat up motorcycle. The decrepit vehicle gave a deadly sputter and shuddered under his weight, looking as though it was going to fall to pieces at any moment. Banner cringed and cut the engine immediately; he climbed off the wasted scrap of metal and then leaned it against an overturned sedan.

"So, this all seems horrible." Banner smiled wryly and gestured to the devastation surrounding them. Concrete and cement debris and motionless Chitauri bodies littered the area and the air was starting to get choked up in ashes and smoke.

"I've seen worst," responded Romanoff in a quiet voice, referring to the show the Hulk had put up on the helicarrier earlier.

Banner sent the redhead assassin a sheepish look. "Sorry."

"No, we could… _use _a little worst."

"Stark, we got him." Steve relayed to the industrialist. He eyed the good scientist with a proud glint in his eyes and nodded curtly. "Just like you said."

"_Banner? Wonderful. Oh, by the way, Cap – take that you butt-face bastards – there's a S.H.I.E.L.D jet heading towards you right now."_

"What are you –"

The rest of Steve's question was drowned out by an engine rumbling uproariously behind the five. They whipped around at the increasingly loud noise and watched as a small, one-man jet plane started its downward descend towards the open space in front of them.

"What's with people dropping by in the middle of a damn battle?" Barton exclaimed as the jet cut its engine once its wheels touched solid ground. The cockpit's glass opened up with a mechanical hiss.

The lone man sitting in the compartment stood up, only to fall back down into his seat again after swaying unsteadily. Steve strode forwards and climbed onto the jet's wing with a single strong step to help the pilot up while the rest of the team snickered in amusement behind him.

Barton chortled, following behind with Romanoff, Thor and Banner in tow. "Does he need a bucket?"

All four of them watched as the super soldier tugged the heavyset helmet from the pilot quickly, revealing a head of smooth, dark curls and a sheepishly smiling – albeit slightly green – face of a _woman_.

"It is not a man." Thor boomed incredulously. "It is the formidable healer from the floating fortress!"

Steve threw the helmet to the side carelessly and eyed Holly with a glare. His lips were pulled down into a deep scowl, and his blue eyes flashed with a hidden anger.

"What in god's name are you doing here?" Steve demanded with brows furrowed low over stormy eyes. "I told you to stay on the helicarrier!"

Holly gave a dry retch in response to his words, still feeling the aftermath of all the barrel roll she had done in the jet gushing through her body. "Can you help me out of this thing first? I think I'm going to upchuck all over these buttons any minute now."

Despite the anger, worry and frustration bubbling inside him over Holly's impromptu involvement in the battle, Steve stretched a hand out and helped the light-headed woman to her feet, wrapping a secure arm around her waist to steady her as she climbed out of the cockpit. He settled her on the jet's wing and stepped back to allow her some space.

"_Ah_, the new auto-control F-33." Romanoff patted the jet's nose with as much fondness a professional assassin could muster and chuckled lightly. "I've always wanted one after the first time I flew in it. It's a babe."

Barton squirmed uncomfortably when the redhead agent started to caress the jet's metal body with a gentle, loving touch.

"You have issues." Holly muttered as she closed her eyes to quell down the pressing need to vomit. When Fury had told her she was going to take a jet down to New York to meet with the team, she had expected someone to pilot her there _whilst_ sitting beside her.

She never thought her pilot would be flying the plane from _inside _the helicarrier, behind the safety of the control panel and its screen instead.

Holly's already green face paled further at the remembrance of all the spinning, sharp twisting and sudden bursts of speed the damned pilot had put her through, and she strove to find out the name of the bespectacled and lanky man just so she could give him a piece of her suffering mind.

Perhaps Steve could help her rough him up a little. It was obvious almost everyone who knew of Captain America's living existence was intimidated if not awed by the legend.

Holly was pulled out of her reverie by the same man in question clearing his throat loudly.

"Holly, what are you doing here?" He eyed her civilian clothes and the small handgun tucked into the waistband of her jeans in obvious disapproval.

Even though Fury had specifically _ordered _her to put on S.H.I.E.L.D's spandex outfit, Holly had decidedly ignored the man, and opted for wearing the same outfit as she did before, although she traded her bloodstained blouse for a clean, cream coloured once and her suede flats for a pair of sturdier looking black boots.

She opened her mouth to explain, only to be cut off by the familiar mechanized voice shouting through the intercom.

"_Holly? What the hell is she doing here?" _Stark's robotic voice sounded incredulous over the two-way. Holly cringed and rubbed at the ear where the black earpiece is, not at all comfortable with the idea of having multiple voices yelling at her in her ears. "_Ugh, screw it. Tell her to bubble up. I'm bringing the party to you."_

The flashing crimson and golden figure of his iron suit came zooming around the corner of a tall building that was blasted through when something bigger, _much_ bigger than anything anyone had ever seen, trailed behind Stark.

"Oh." Holly murmured as her round green eyes took in the gargantuan leviathan writhing in the air and heading towards their little group menacingly.

The colossal beast was covered head to – well, _tail_ – in a dark grey metal like exoskeleton that creaked and groaned with every grosteque twist of its body. Sharp spikes lined its long and strong tail while flat flippers grew on the sides of the monster. A mouth, or at least what Holly perceived to be its mouth, was lined in rows of razor sharp teeth that opened to release a monstrous roar when Stark led it to hit the ground.

It looked like the dream of every Comic-Con nerd and the nightmare of all military forces come true – only a million times worst on both ends of the vastly opposing spectrums.

Thor let out a determined growl and twirled the hammer in his hand. He hunkered his muscular form down steadily and glared at the approaching leviathan with resolution.

"A dragon," deadpanned Barton. "We're fighting a _dragon_."

Romanoff shook her head. "I – I don't see how that's a party."

"Um, could you guys huddle up?" Holly asked, casting a nervous glance around them. The leviathan neared the mismatched group by the second, tearing through trees, road signs and concrete road as though they were made of cardboard. She didn't know if she could stretch her shield far enough to enclose everyone by how far they were from each other. "Now?"

"Now's not the time for a group hug, Miss." Barton retorted as Banner strode forward with his shoulders tensed and fists tightly clenched.

"Dr. Banner!" Steve strode forward, eyeing the scientist and the fast approaching alien. "Now might be a good time for you to get angry."

Banner turned to look at the soldier and smirked. "That's my secret, Cap. I'm _always _angry."

As soon as the words left his lips, a green tinge spread rapidly through Banner's skin; muscles bulged and contorted as the group watched in silent awe while the scientist hulked out within seconds.

The newly transformed beast let out an angry roar and planted a straight fist into the front of the leviathan, effectively slowing the beast down, although the sudden drop in momentum caused its rear end to flip up and curve towards the team perilously.

"Closer!" Holly yelled. She flipped her wrist and the silvery threads of her shield expanded exponentially to encompass the scattered team of heroes around her as best as she could. A cold chill tingled at her forehead before morphing into a single sharp shooting pain when she forced the shield to widen further.

She turned towards Barton who was right outside the potentially maximized force field and scowled. Having forgotten his name from when Coulson had briefed her on the two rouge S.H.I.E.L.D personnel, Holly settled for the next best thing.

"_Arrowman_! _Get in_!"

Barton glowered at her in return but dashed into the glimmering bubble of light nonetheless. A small shudder escaped him at the biting sensation that rushed through his body when he entered the protected region.

"The name's Barton _or _Hawkeye," snipped Barton once he was safe in the shield. "_Not_ Arrowman."

Holly rolled her eyes and instead let out a small sigh in relief when she could minimize the push she had on her shield. The pain in her temples faded away into a small tingle at the back of her head; mild enough to be ignored.

"_Hold on!_"

Stark fired a small missile at an exposed part of the leviathan, causing it to explode instantly in a blast of orange flames and golden sparks that skimmed over the glimmering protection of Holly's shield. The beast split into two and crashed over the side of the overpass the team was on, landing on the ground below with a resounding boom, sending more dust and ashes into the air.

"How fascinating!" exclaimed Thor, when he put down his arm after having brought it up to shelter himself from the leviathan instinctively. He eyed the silvery force-field wrapped around the group and started to tap at it with Mjolnir; letting out a breath of silent awe when the shield remained strong in its place. "I am astounded at such wonder this little Midgardian woman hold."

Holly scowled, feeling the vibrations from Thor's hammer on her shield. "Will you please stop that?"

"I apologize, my lady," said Thor as his hammer returned to his side. "But it is most wondrous that a seemingly delicate shield could withstand the force of –"

"Okay! We got it, Thor!" Barton cut in, seemingly annoyed at the way the Asgardian spoke. He looked to Holly with a distrustful glint in his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

"You could be nicer, you know?" retorted Holly, bristling at the bowman's brusque attitude. "I did just save your life."

"I was fine on my own, _mutant,_" Barton grunted and crossed his arms tightly.

"I am _not_ a mutant!"

"Hey! That's enough!" Steve barked, stepping towards Holly and switching his sharp glare between the young woman and the archer. He turned away when the bickering two fell silent at his silent chastising and regarded his surroundings when a unified battle cry from the Chitauri scaling the buildings around them filled the air.

Hulk let out a ferocious roar in response that far surpassed that of the alien army as the team readied themselves for the long fight ahead, each drawing their weapons or steadying their stances for all oncoming attacks.

"Guys…" Romanoff muttered. Her gaze was fixed on the gaping portal in the sky. Two more leviathans ambled out of the hole, accompanied by even more Chitauri as they scattered themselves across the vast Manhattan skies.

"_Call it, Captain."_

"Alright, listen up. Until we can close that portal, our priority is containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays." Steve commanded, slipping back into his decisive military captain mode easily. "Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out you turn it _back_ or you turn it to _ash_."

Barton turned towards Stark. "Wanna give me a lift?"

"Right," The man of iron nodded curtly. "Better clench up, _Legolas_."

Holly caught sight of the flicker of annoyance on Barton's face at the nickname just before Stark took off into the air with a clamorous rumble. The rest of the team on the ground watched as the glint of red and gold iron twisted and turned until it disappeared into the far off distance.

"Thor, you gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down," Steve nodded towards the Chrysler Building; a location where it's highest point was closest to the portal. "You've got the lightning, light the bastards up."

With his eyes set on the same spot as the super-soldier, Thor started twirling his hammer by its leather strap, creating a strong wind around his being that would propel him into the air.

"_Wait_!" Holly stepped forward quickly before the god could take off into the sky. The blonde Asgardian ceased his twirling, causing the air around him to return to a standstill again, and looked at the woman with a brow raised in question.

"I need help getting up there," She explained meekly, pointing up at the beam of bright blue light emanating from Stark Tower.

"Do you know what you're going to do?" asked Steve concernedly.

"No, but does any of us know?" Holly asked in return before shrugging and mustering a grim smile when the look of worry intensified on Steve's face. "I'll just see what I can help with when I get there." She turned towards Thor. "Could you bring me up? Saves time, you know?"

"Of course, my lady." Thor stepped towards her. He bent his form slightly and wrapped a free arm around Holly's waist as e pulled her petite form into his side and lifted her off of the ground completely without so much as a word of warning.

Holly let out an undignified yelp at the sudden action and clawed desperately at Thor's arm in order to secure a grip on his muscular form. A red flush blossomed across the expanse of her neck and creeped up her pale cheeks as her feet dangled in the air precariously.

Thor sent her an amused quirk of his lips at her reaction in return, and was joined even by the Hulk, who let out a huff and smirked at her flailing.

"Be careful," Steve warned sternly, although the miniscule twitch of his lips belied his mirth. "Call out for anything, understand?"

Holly nodded and gulped as Thor started twirling Mjolnir again. The air swirled and the whistling of the wind against her ears were all she could hear before she felt a pressure pulling her upwards, propelling her and Thor up into the air.

A terrified squeak escaped Holly as she pinched her eyes shut and force herself to keep the bile rising in her stomach down. Her arms tightened around Thor's neck. Perhaps taking the menial way of walking was much better as compared to flying through the air without so much as a seatbelt _or _a seat. Holly felt as if her heart and lungs had dropped all the way to the pit of her stomach, and that her intestines were tangled up with each other and were slowly sliding towards her upper torso.

The nauseous sensation raged on until the wind came to an abrupt stop and she could feel a sudden jolt rocking the hefty figure she was clinging tightly to.

"We are here, Lady Holly." Thor's low voice spoke gently into her ears. "You may relinquish your grip on my neck. We are on safe ground."

Upon hearing those words, Holly snapped her eyes opened and released her hold around Thor's neck, which she come to realize was now tinged a slight pink from the strength of her arms.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!"

Thor rubbed the front of his throat with a weak smile and shook his head. "Tis fine. I shall be right – _Friend Selvig_!"

Thor took off towards the humming machine situated in the middle of the pebbled floor platform halfway through his words and threw himself onto the ground where a body was lying in an unceremonious position.

"My friend!" Thor called out and proceeded to give the unconscious man a hard shove so that he was lying on his back.

"Thor! Don't!" Holly admonished with a frown. "You're moving him too much!" The Asgardian let go of Selvig's arm, which he had been shaking vigorously and made way for Holly, who kneeled before the man, and started checking him over for his vitals. She placed the palm of her hand over Selvig's mouth and felt the positive sign of a soft rush of air escaping his nose. "He's alive, just unconscious."

A deafening roar burst forth from the hole in the sky, where another leviathan was slowly crawling its way out of the portal along with another squad of Chitauri.

"Go! He'll be fine," Holly assured as she checked the bleeding abrasion on Selvig's temple with careful hands.

Thor, satisfied that Jane's mentor was in safe hands, nodded and started twirling his hammer again. "Be careful, Lady Holly. And good luck."

Then, the God of Thunder was gone in another strong gush of rapidly swirling wind, as he darted through the air towards the Chrysler Building.

Holly pressed down hard on one of Selvig's fingernails quickly to see if the man was responsive to pain. It was completely unnecessary for her to exert as much force as she was doing, but she desperately needed the senior scientist to wake up. Holly assumed that he was the one who activated the Tesseract, seeing as how he was the only one found on the roof with the device.

The unconscious man gave no indication to her action. Instead, he remained as still as before, save for the slow rising and falling of his chest with every shallow breath he took.

Holly pressed down on his nail once more, harder this time and cringed when the tip of Selvig's middle finger turned bright red from her effort.

She really needed him to wake up.

If Selvig could trigger the cube and initiate the opening of the portal, then he must know a way to shut it down and close off the opening without Holly having to absorb the energy into her body.

In a way, he would be saving her life.

The hand she was holding twitched as a pained groan sounded from the man lying before her.

"Sir? Dr. Selvig, sir?" called out Holly. There was another groan. "Dr. Selvig, my name is Holly. Can you hear me?"

"Yes…"

"Thank god!" Holly let out a breath of relief and smiled down at the man whose bloodshot blue eyes were slowly flickering open. She wrapped an arm around his mid back and another around his right arm as she helped the man into an upright position gingerly. Having gotten used to heaving men twice her weight during her time in the hospital, Holly was able to prop Selvig up without so much as a cringe at the dead weight in her arms.

"Is there anywhere that's bothering you badly?"

Selvig nodded. "My head…" he then held up his right hand too. "And wrist."

Holly took his wrist into her hands and ran her fingers around the slightly bruised joint carefully. "You sprained it. Try not to move it too much –

An explosion in the distant cut her words short.

"What's going on?" asked Selvig, cringing at the loud noises around him.

Holly was about to give him the rundown about the situation when she remembered how Loki had taken over Selvig's mind and had turned the scientist into his personal minion – someone who was capable of hurting anybody without reservation. She stiffened and stopped herself just in time from releasing her secure grip on the man.

"Sir, are you… conscious of yourself?"

Selvig blinked up at the young woman in confusion and held a hand up to his head. He flinched when his fingers brushed against a sore spot at the top of his temple. "I think so…"

"What do you remember?"

"Loki. Iron Man. The Tesseract –" Selvig stopped short. His blue eyes widened in horror as he turned to look at the buzzing machine. His face paled further at the consequences of his action. "The arc reactor! Oh god… what have I done!"

Holly let out another breath of relief and helped the man to his feet. "Great. You're you again."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Holly Fairchild. Sent by S.H.I.E.L.D to shut down the cube and close the portal," Holly explained. "Loki's invasion has already started. We need to turn the machine off as soon as possible or the team wouldn't be able to hold the Chitauri off any longer. Is there a way to stop it?"

Selvig nodded hesitantly. He ran a shaky hand through his graying blonde hair and trembled as the blunt force of the situation sunk deep in his clouded mind. "I… while I was in Loki's control, I still had a bit of a hold on a small part of my mind." He paused and eyed the machine. "I built in a safety… to–to cut the power source."

"That's fantastic! Come on, Doc!" Holly strode towards the device and eyed the beeping computers with a newfound determination at the simple solution. "How do we do it?"

"Loki's scepter," Selvig muttered after a short pause. "We need the scepter. The Tesseract can't fight against it. You can't protect against yourself."

Holly stopped short at his answer and turned to appraise him. An unimpressed expression hung on her face.

"The scepter," she repeated. "The stick that's always in Loki's hands." Selvig nodded. "Great. This is absolutely terrific. Just when I thought everything was going well."

She sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears. Holly's eyes sought out the portal again, noticing how the Chitauri army was infiltrating Earth's atmosphere in a never-ending stream. The machine hummed loudly as the beam of energy from the Tesseract continued feeding the portal from outer space. At this rate, the team would certainly not be able to hold off the army anymore.

"If I could somehow lower the energy output of the cube," said Holly, "Would you be able to shut it down without the scepter?"

"It's… possible. But it's too late now, there's no way we can – _what the hell are you doing_?" Selvig rushed up towards Holly and tugged her hand away from the bright blue light connecting the device to the hole in the sky. He pushed away from the cube roughly and glared at her with an incredulous gleam in his eyes. "Are you out of your _damn_ mind?"

Holly pulled her hand back from the scientist's grip calmly. "The cube, it releases cosmic energy right? Nothing else? Just pure, unadulterated energy?"

"Yes, but what has that got to do with –"

Selvig was cut off by the ear-piercing boom of an explosion from somewhere near the roof they were on. Before Holly could turn to see what had happened, she felt a blunt force knocking into her left shoulder as Selvig shoved her aside roughly; just in time to avoid the figure hurtling towards the spot where she had been standing on seconds ago.

There was a blur of black and green, and a glint of shiny gold as the figure fell to the ground with a heavy thud. A horned headgear slipped from the head of curling black hair and that was all it took for Holly's shield to come right up on instinct.

_Loki._

* * *

First off, I must apologize for the delay. My grandfather passed away recently, and I lost my mojo as a result.  
He was an avid comic fan, and was the one who took me to see the Avengers, a movie that I've fallen in love with (which was why I started HftH in the first place).

Thanks for all the reviews/subs/favs dear readers. I know the story is going a little too slowly, and I blame that entirely on my lack of discipline to complete it without distraction haha. But I do hope you guys will hang in there with me just for a little while more.

Remember, I love reviews ;)

_xo thekindlyones_


	18. The Handover and Takeover

**Hope for the Hopeless**

_Chapter Eighteen: The Handover and Takeover_

* * *

Holly drew the handgun from the waistband of her jeans in seconds, her shield appearing in the time less than that, and held it in front of her as she directed the barrel of the loaded weapon at the onyx haired Asgardian.

She watched with bated breath as Loki straightened himself up and brushed dust and gravel from his leather suit casually. Then, he stopped. His hands stilled over smoothing down the front of his suit, as though sensing the shift in the atmosphere.

Holly flinched and took a sharp step back when Loki snapped his head up to look at her. Red-veined green eyes trailed up from the trembling gun to the pale hands holding it slowly, calculatingly, and stopped at the face that met the juncture of a long, slender neck.

Then, he grinned.

The thin-lipped deranged smile stretched across Loki's sallow, pointed face, emphasizing the sharp points of his high cheekbones and the smoothness of his forehead. A crazed fire glinted behind pale eyes.

Holly didn't think it was possible for him to look even more demented and insane than he did whilst he was incarcerated on the helicarrier.

"Holly Fairchild, what an honour!"

Loki's silky voice reverberated through the air, loud and clear despite the pandemonium happening around them. He took a small step forward; the grin on his face widened when Holly moved back instinctively.

"I have been yearningfor a chance to meet you, having heard so many wonderful things about you."

Holly said nothing, although she stiffened noticeably at his words. Bloodshot eyes veered away from her ashen face and focused instead, on the sheen of light surrounding her. Loki's eyebrows rose as a look of interest slipped over his maniacal expression.

"You were on the minds of so many others, my lady. The Director, the feral abomination you silly humans called an ally, the Captain, Agent Coulson…" Holly's hands twitched at the mention of her uncle.

Loki grinned, having caught sight of the small reaction from her.

"Oh, _especially_ Agent Coulson – you were always in your beloved uncle's thoughts." Loki continued. His sharp eyes caught the small movement from the finger on the trigger. "Even when he was hopelessly fading away – bleeding and dangling at Hel's doors as his blood gushed red from the wound I inflicted. All he could think about was you. All these sad, regretful thoughts…" He clucked his tongue and shook his head in faux despair. "Even _I_ was moved by his emotions."

Loki took a deliberate step towards her.

"_Stop_."

"He was so incredibly _shamed_ for dragging you into this mess and so unbelievably regretful to leave you behind in this despairingly lost world." The Asgardian ignored her weak protest and took another stride forwards, his gait threateningly similar to that of a predator waiting to pounce on his prey. "And he was so afraid. So disgustingly afraid of dying. Did you know what your uncle was doing? He was prayingto a faceless god when he should have been kneeling before _me_; when he should have been begging _me_ for forgiveness; for mercy."

"Shut up!" The shaky words fell forth from Holly's trembling lips. "Stop – stop talking or I'm going to shoot you."

She could hear the alarmed calls of her name from the others through the device in her ears as they caught up to what was going on at her end. Faintly, she could make out Steve's voice from amongst the clamorous voices attempting to speak over one another as he implored her to report her situation to them.

But all she could focus on was the raven-haired Asgardian prowling and eyeing her like a hunter with a murderous intent.

Holly's armed hands moved in response to Loki's words as they changed their target from the spot where his heart resided to the expanse of pale neck peeking from the high collar of his suit. Although she knew the gun could barely hurt him, it still gave her a sense of reassurance to be able to hold a potentially harmful weapon against the empty-handed god.

"Did you really think you can impair me with that measly looking contraption?"

Holly took a deep breath and steadied her shaking hands. "I can try."

"_Pathetic_," Loki spat venomously. "Just like your wretched uncle and your parents."

"What?" gasped Holly.

The Asgardian cackled in response.

"Oh yes, your parents." Loki said. "I know so much about you, Holly. You made it so easy to get into your head."

The blood drained from Holly's flushed face at the thought of Loki prodding around in her head.

"Tell me, does it hurt? Does it pain you to hear the screams for help from your parents, as they were being burned alive in your nightmares? Does it make you feel weak, feel so utterly hopeless, to be wrapped up, safe and sound, in that protective shield of yours while you watch the fire tear away at their flesh?"

"_Shut up!_"

Holly's words were punctuated by the distinct click from the handgun, followed by the single resounding bang of the shot. Eyes that had closed on instinct after the release of the trigger snapped open, only to be greeted by an empty space where the prone and still body of Loki was supposed to lie.

"Stupid girl," The smooth baritone voice whispered.

"Behind you!"

Holly whipped around at Selvig's warning cry and gasped when she saw Loki standing before her with a wicked grin stretched across his maniacal face. The pale neck that was supposed to have a bullet lodged in it, as it bled remained unharmed, unflawed and _perfect._

"There's no fighting back, silly girl." Holly raised her armed hand once more, only to have the handgun go flying out of her grasp and into Loki's outstretched hand. He laughed menacingly at the look of undisguised fear in her face and tossed the weapon aside. "You and your people will all fall. This is what you were born to do – to kneel before the greater power; to accept being ruled by someone worthy of this forsaken planet; to live in a world where the servility your race craved and adored are given to you. _You were all made to be ruled_."

"You're crazy," muttered Holly, stepping back to put distance between her and the Asgardian. "And you –" Her eyes caught sight of a small movement behind the approaching god, causing her to lose her train of thought for a second before she snapped her focus back to Loki. "You will fail. People like you always do."

Loki chuckled. He tilted his head to the side lightly, regarding Holly with a look not dissimilar to the ones adults often bestow upon children when they said something amusing and ridiculous.

"People like me?"

Selvig was still moving slowly towards the handgun Loki had thrown aside carelessly.

"Y-yeah. Insane, power hungry and evil people like you," stammered Holly. She took another step back from Loki but closer towards the edge of the platform. "They _always_ fail, no matter what. It's one of the fundamental rules of the universe."

"Is it now?"

"Of course," Holly nodded, stalling for more time while keeping Loki's focus on her. "Don't you ever read? The antagonist _always_ ends up dead or a loser at the end of the story. It's a given. Like Lord Voldemort. He tried to kill Harry to gain power over the Wizarding world only to be splintered into wizard confetti. He's like you – forsaken, unloved, batshit crazy and a cruel tyrant."

Her eyes flickered over to Selvig once more. The aged scientist had finally reached the gun and was bending down slowly to pick it up, keeping his sight trained on Loki.

Holly looked back at Loki with a small smile and a simple shrug. "All villains die; one way or another. It's the natural order of life. You do bad things, karma comes back and bite you in the ass and then you go to hell."

"The ruler of the underworld is my daughter," said Loki with a smug grin.

"Yeah?" Loki turned towards Selvig. "Well, say hello to your daughter for me, will you?"

Then he pulled the trigger.

However, instead of the bullet finding home in Loki's body, it sailed _through _him and bounced off the sturdy protection of Holly's shield.

Loki stretched a hand out as the gun flew towards him and shook his head in mock disappointment. He fisted his hand and the gun folded in his palm as though it was made of cardboard. "You humans never learn, do you?"

He waved another hand in Selvig's direction and sent the man flying through the air before knocking into the parapet. The scientist fell to the ground, having being rendered unconscious for the second time and lay slumped on the gravel in a crumpled heap.

"It is such a pity, I must say." Holly took several staggering steps back while Loki advanced towards her. "Having to get rid of a power," at this, he eyed her shield meaningfully, "That seemed so limitless."

"Hello? I need some help here," whispered Holly, hoping that anyone on the team could hear her. She turned to look behind her and realized with a skip of her heart that she had just one step left between solid ground and free falling down a 93 storey high building. "Anyone? Really, I'm at the edge of Stark Tower now!"

Loki chuckled darkly at the desperation in her words. "Looks like your band of heroes are too busy fighting –"

A beastly roar resonated, loud and thunderous, as a rush of air brushed past Holly, whipping her hair into her eyes. The blur of pale green tackled Loki into the ground before picking him up like a rag doll. With another roar of rage, the Hulk raised the limp figure in air and threw him over his head, tossing Loki onto the landing below the platform they were on.

The great beast turned towards Holly with a huff and stared at her through beady black eyes. His enhanced shoulders rose and fell with every breath he took as the muscles on his back rippled with his movements.

Holly stepped away from the edge of the platform and looked up at the Hulk with a quiet utter of gratitude, which he returned by nodding his head curtly and letting out another huff. As he made to jump onto the landing Loki lain, Holly took a step forward.

"Wait!" The Hulk turned and quirked an eyebrow at her that was almost human in nature. Holly stepped up beside him and pointed at the gleaming scepter on the step below hers. "Could you –" She paused and bit her lip, not knowing how to go about asking the beast to fetch the item for her without him throwing her over the building in offense. "The scepter. Um, could you please –"

The Hulk turned and hoped down from the platform before she could finish her sentence, leaving her blinking at his abrupt exit. Holly huffed, defeated, and turned her attention back towards Selvig in hopes of rousing him once more so that she continue her mission in shutting down the reactor.

There was a clang of metal and the sound of breaking class, both of which startled Holly – whose nerves were already frazzled by the situation – enough for her to let out a yelp and nearly trip over herself in the process. She turned in the direction of the noise, her shield still up and wrapped around her protectively, to see the golden scepter lying on the gravel not far from where she was.

Quickly, Holly rushed forward and picked up the weapon before any of Loki's minions could spot it and she yelled out a quick word of gratitude to the Hulk who had just throw Loki through the window of Stark's penthouse apartment.

She looked down at the weighted gold and frowned, alternating her eyes between the scepter in her hands and the humming machine. Before she could point it at the reactor, one of the Chitauri flew close to the tower as a figure hopped from atop it and landed on the gravel with a loud thud.

Holly's eyes widened in surprise when the red head assassin, Romanoff, straightened herself up with a small hiss of pain.

"So," Romanoff started, dusting herself off. Her calculating gaze took in the surroundings critically and a sculpted brow rose when she saw Selvig's unconscious form. "How's everything going?"

Holly merely stared back at her with horrified eyes. "Did you just… was that... you – _how_?"

"Hitched a ride." The agent replied plainly, an amused grin appearing on her dirtied face at Holly's stammering. "Those things are dumber than you think."

The brunette blinked again and gulped. The idea Holly had from watching action movies about how assassins could do whatever the hell they wanted whenever they wanted was apparently true to real life too.

"Well?" Romanoff prompted.

Holly snapped out of her stupor and proceeded to relay everything Selvig had told her to Romanoff. When she was done, she watched as the S.H.I.E.L.D agent strode up to the scientist and bent down to his unconscious form.

Then, she drew her hand back and slapped the poor man across the cheek with a resounding crack.

'_Desperate times calls for desperate measures_,' Holly cringed and made no move to stop the red head. '_Sorry, doctor.'_

"Hey, doctor," A deep groan of pain answered Romanoff's second slap and words as the scientist roused slowly. "Get up, we've got a machine to close off."

Holly rushed forward and passed the scepter to Romanoff in order to help Selvig up. She would really rather have as little contact with the weapon as possible after seeing the destruction Loki had done with it.

"What happened?" grunted Selvig. "Was I knocked out again?"

"Your head's going to be really sore for the next few days."

"We've got the scepter now, doc." Romanoff said, twirling the gold staff in her hands easily. "So what do we do?"

Selvig pushed himself off of the ground and went straight for the laptop that was left abandoned in the debacle. He pushed the pedestal upright again, groaning when his head throbbed, before typing out a series of technical sequences and prompts.

Holly and Romanoff shared a look when a huge explosion rang out, followed by the collapsing of a skyscraper somewhere downtown.

"Come on," The agent pressed impatiently. "We don't have all day."

Selvig huffed as his fingers continued flying all over the black keys in a frenzy. "I can't shut it off. The reactor has overloaded on the source and it's overriding all my commands."

"Fantastic," Romanoff deadpanned. "We're all going to be enslaved by a batshit crazy god now. That's just freaking awesome."

Selvig sent her a dirty look and decided not to grace her with a retort, choosing instead to slave over the laptop that had seen better days. Holly flinched as another explosion rang out, followed by the terrified screams of civilians as they fought for cover in the crossfire.

She sighed, suddenly tired, and pulled out the communicator from her ear. "I can lower some of the energy output. You will be able to stop the reactor if the energy to the source is being removed, right?"

Selvig nodded slowly, not knowing how someone like her would be able to stop a machine that even he with a PhD couldn't.

"Okay." Holly took in a deep breath and nodded her head. "Okay." She turned towards Romanoff with a small smile. "If I don't survive this, will you make sure Phil's being buried? He doesn't want to be cremated."

An expression of discomfort flashed across her stoic mask. "Fairchild…"

"I know, I know. It's weird to hear this. Trust me, it's even stranger to say this too. But I just wanted to make sure Phil's… I just wanted to make sure he has a home." Holly choked out. "He's always prepared for future situations so he's already bought himself a plot of land. It's in St. Jude's cemetery, right beside my mother's."

Romanoff stayed silent. Words of reassurance would have been empty and meaningless, for none of them knew if she would survive it. But that was fine with Holly. She didn't need them anyway. She just needed someone to listen to what she had to say.

"And um, somebody's going to have to tell my grandma Lynette." She added. "She lives in Marquette with her boyfriend and three dogs. She may get a little emotional and _will_ start throwing things at you. So it's best if you don't go alone." Holly paused, and then added, "Actually, take Arrowman with you. And make sure he gets hit by something too. For me."

The redhead chuckled despite the strangeness of the situation. "I will,"

"Thanks," Holly nodded. "Oh! And my cat! Tobie! Goodness, I almost forgot about him. Um, he's with the vet now. Could you give him to my niece, Sarah? My sister's a bit of an uptight ass, and will fight you tooth and nail so as to not keep him. You can mention her sorority phase back in college and threaten to tell her husband about it. That should do the trick."

"Anything else?" Romanoff asked, quirking an eyebrow at her endless requests.

"That's about it." Holly declared, offering the agent a meek smile. "I know it's a lot to ask of someone who's not even a friend of mine. But you're the only one here who knows Coulson. So…"

"Don't worry, Fairchild. I'll make sure everything's carried out and that Clint gets hit by your grandmother, okay?"

Holly nodded. Her eyes trailed towards the bright blue beam. Taking another deep breath, she stepped up to the reactor and stretched a shaky hand out.

Just as the tips of her fingers grazed the burning light, a thought sprang up in her head.

It had totally slipped her mind to tell Romanoff to pass Steve her copy of _Stardust_. When she moved to step back and pass the last message to the agent, it was already too late.

The power of the Tesseract had overtaken her.

* * *

**THE END.**

**Just kidding.**

Would you have sent me death threats if I left the story just like that? Hahahahaha

I would love to thank all my reviewers: **Theonlyredhead, Kai-Aala, WhatsGoingOn, LadySyndra, Beloved Daughter, stinkysox, Binary 9, Itsgoose2u, hogwartswonderland, transf0rmer, smilin steph, moonlightkiss1515, Aleiafae, pepperluck, Peach, lovinit, violet rose, Moira **and **guest **for your lovely comments, thoughts and prayers. All of you are amazing, wonderful and I have no doubt beautiful. It comforts me so much to have such lovely readers!

Also, I know I portrayed Holly as a blonde with hazel eyes (I had Dianna Agron in mind), but then, I caught sight of Felicity Jones one day and thought she was perfect for how I wanted Holly to be.

I'm still thinking if I should merge HftH with the sequel I had planned into one big story and have the sequel of this story with the continuation of Captain America: Winter Soldier. But hang on there, readers! I hope this chapter's entertaining enough for you to tide you till the next update :)

We're 6 more to 300 reviews! We can reach that number! Let's gooooooo!  
Remember, read and review! Leave me anything (**constructive **advices, funny stories, random thoughts, anything!)

**EDIT: WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WEBSITE I HAD TO POST THIS THRICE :|** If it doesn't work, I'm giving up.

xo _thekindlyones_


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